Melissa Stevens, National Business Development Manager, Mohawk Fine Papers, spoke on behalf of Mohawk at the Women in Environment Conference last Tuesday, January 26. Stevens’ presentation, which received a multitude of positive feedback from attendees, centered around Mohawk’s efforts to become more than an “environmental paper mill.”

Borrowing a concept put forth by Adam Werbach — author of Strategy for Sustainability and Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi S — Stevens presented Mohawk’s environmental work using the color blue instead of green. “Green puts the planet at the center of sustainability efforts,” says Stevens. “Blue puts people at the center.”

Werbach popularized the BLUE movement during a speech he gave to the Commonwealth Club in 2008. He agrees that “green” is good, but suggests that “blue” is better. “The common green definition of sustainability, or “environmental sustainability,” is mainly concerned with the fate of the planet and how that affects our lives. For me, sustainability has four integrated streams: social, cultural, economic, and environmental. All must exist in balance. That’s why tonight I’m speaking about the birth of a new mass movement to complement and expand our existing political efforts. A movement not just for professionals or experts or people who can explain photosynthesis and life cycle analysis. A movement we can call BLUE.”

Werbach asserted that we all devise a plan, or a personal sustainability practice (PSP) — a simple action or set of actions that we should take regularly that’s good for us, our community, and the planet.

“We want to be more than an ‘environmental paper mill,’” said Stevens. “We want to be a CSR Leader.” It is Mohawk’s goal, therefore, to produce only innovative and environmental products, to become 100% carbon neutral, and to be “the industry educator.” By continuously choosing to meet the highest standards set by environmental groups such as FSC and Green Seal, and through stakeholder education and interactive tools such as the Environmental Calculator, Mohawk seeks to be a leader in educating the business world and community at large about sustainable best practices.