Education for businesses and communities: WIST hosts the annual Midwest Compost School.
Growing the economy: WIST provides compostability testing to help packaging manufacturers in new product development.
Papermaking and paper testing: Our Fourdrinier pilot paper machine is available for grade development, raw material/chemical additive studies, equipment evaluation and production runs. Contact us to discuss your project.
Technology transfer: Strathmore® RiverPoint® printmaking paper was launched at a trade show in Pittsburgh.
Preparing students: WIST has employed more than 110 UW-Stevens Point students who have gained experience and earned a paycheck while majoring in paper science, business, soils or waste management.
The Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST) provides research, laboratory services and education for business and industry. We bring new ideas and innovation from the university to the private sector. Contact us to see how we can help your business.

WIST Compostability Testing Laboratory is BPI-Approved 

Read about this certification and what it means for your product development needs.

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How2RecycleLogowith-words-horizontal.pngWIST is a pre-qualified lab for certain paper repulpability and recyclability testing  

How2Recycle, a membership group that provides standardized labeling to help consumers correctly recycle materials, has approved WIST as a provider of repulpability and recyclability testing for certain unbleached coated packaging materials such as carton board and corrugated board.

 Upcoming Classes and Events

Mark your calendars; registration will open by the end of 2024.​





$14.5 billion
Annual production value of Wisconsin's paper industry
965
Minimum number of professionals in paper and packaging industries provided learning and training opportunities by WIST
$13.4 million
Federal and state grants awarded to and managed by WIST with focus on growing Wisconsin's rural economy
110
Minimum number of UW-Stevens Point students who have received training and a paycheck from WIST while majoring in paper science, business or waste management
2
Wisconsin's rank among U.S. states for harvested acreage of vegetables


  
<DIV id='news'><div id='newsListDate'>01-31-2020</div><div id='newsList'><a href='https://www.uwsp.edu/wist/Pages/news/WIST-Compostability-Lab-is-BPI-Certified.aspx'>WIST Compostability Testing Laboratory is certified by Biodegradable Products Institute </a></div></DIV>
<DIV id='news'><div id='newsListDate'>09-10-2019</div><div id='newsList'><a href='https://www.uwsp.edu/wist/Pages/You-are-looking-at-paper-all-wrong.aspx'>You're looking at paper all wrong</a></div></DIV>
<DIV id='news'><div id='newsListDate'>08-08-2019</div><div id='newsList'><a href='https://www.uwsp.edu/wist/Pages/Coating-and-Lamination-Course-a-big-draw.aspx'>Coating and Lamination course draws international attendance</a></div></DIV>

Research work with Aquafix:

WIST works with Madison-based Aquafix to clean up waterways and reduce the use of chemicals in the environment.

“The combination of renowned professors working together and millions of dollars in equipment allows us to seek deeper truths and create better products than we could without WIST" – Kevin Ripp, director of science and innovation, Aquafix. Read more about the WIST-Aquafix connection in WIST's 2017 Annual Report.



RiverPoint® collaboration:

“We could not have launched our Printmaking program, especially in the timeframe, without UWSP. We have been able to bring new products to the market, made in Wisconsin paper mills, that will help us continue to grow our business and cement our position as an innovative supplier of fine art papers" – Jim McDermott, EVP of Sales and Marketing, Strathmore Artist Papers, Pacon.

WIST worked with Pacon to develop a new line of printmaking papers, after the company learned about our collaborative work to create RiverPoint fine art paper.


Research work with Siemens:

“It’s critically important that we have, one, a place to go to where we can have some of these short-term research efforts undertaken and not be delayed by our current research project commitments. And secondly, where we can do it at a place where we can train up students at the undergraduate or the graduate level and hopefully, long-term relationships develop and this becomes a feeder source for our future employment candidates as well. Siemens may be global, but having a local resource like WIST means we can undertake a greater volume of research with our current research staffing, and help develop the talent we’ll need to rely on in the years to come.” – Bill Cunningham, Manager of Biological Processes/Products, Siemens Energy, Inc., Rothschild, Wisconsin

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Learn how the WIST Compostability Testing Laboratory evaluates materials for compostability, an end-of-product-life solution more consumers are demanding.