Sappi Group

The primary focus of Sappi Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of coated fine paper and chemical cellulose, is to create and protect long-term shareholder value. To this end, sustainable policies in the areas of communities, the environment and commerce, are at the heart of the company’s business model. People, planet and prosperity are essential to business, and so Sappi is geared to ensuring we contribute to the long-term benefit of each.

Our responsibility is significant as we are a large company, with annual sales of US$5.3 billion in 2007, assets of US$3.99 billion and a workforce of 15,100 in 50 countries.

Headquartered in Johannesburg, Sappi produces 4.2 million tons of coated fine paper annually, used for high quality publishing, promotional, labelling and packaging materials. Sappi is also the world’s largest producer of chemical cellulose, and manufactures tissue, uncoated graphic and business papers, coated and uncoated speciality papers, newsprint, kraft packaging paper and casting release papers. Our products are used in over a hundred countries worldwide.

Setting environmental standards

In all areas of our business – whether in raw materials, manufacture or product design – we aim to set the highest environmental standards in our industry.

The majority of our raw materials are sourced from semi-natural forests and plantations across the world. The importance of forest habitats to the world cannot be overstated. Sappi recognises their value to mankind, as centres of biodiversity, natural beauty and also in reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases. As the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change 2007 report on the Mitigation of Climate Change noted, sustainable forestry has an important role to play in reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

Sappi fully embraces and supports the principles of sustainable forestry. Our European business was the first to gain multi-site cross-border, group chain-of-custody certification under both the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Systems) accreditation schemes.

Best-in-class standards

We also strictly abide by best-in-class standards in managing our 540,000 hectares of forestry across Southern Africa.

Sappi owns manufacturing operations in Europe, North America and Southern Africa, as well as a joint venture in China – and we make great efforts to see that our manufacturing processes are safe, efficient and with minimal environmental impact. In 1990, our European operations became the first in the world to produce a totally chlorine-free paper. They were also the first to achieve certification under the ISO 9001, 14001 and EMAS standards in our industry.

Sappi aims to ensure that our products meet the highest environmental standards. Our papers are primarily made from natural, renewable raw materials and are fully recyclable, as raw material for paper or board production, or other products. At the end of its product life the calorific value of paper provides a carbon-neutral source of renewable energy.

Breaking patterns

A major breakthrough in product development was achieved in November 2007 with the new Tempo coating formula. In development for almost three years, our aim was to produce a paper that would considerably reduce environmental impacts during the printing process.

Traditionally, silk and matt paper surfaces have offered the best solution for readers of print, with their low level of reflection. However these products meant off-set printing is challenging: printers need to control scratching of the paper’s coarse surface, and avoid ink-rub when prints are stacked on top of one another. Protective varnish and anti off-set powder have been used to offset these effects, and occasionally infra-red dryers which speed up the drying process.

The Tempo coating design means drying time is significantly reduced, so less anti-offset powder is required, drying is reduced or unnecessary, and protective varnish is no longer required in most cases.

This means printers require less auxiliary material and use less energy in their print runs. In addition, less time is spent on cleaning the press saving detergent and less waste is generated. As often the case in environmentally-aware manufacture, Sappi has also found that printers benefit economically from the greater utility of their presses provided by faster print times. Environmental protection is closely intertwined with greater efficiency. In this respect, large companies like Sappi, at the hub of industries like paper, have a crucial role to play in leading the world to a sustainable future.

From the forest to the mill, and from the mill to the printer, the management and employees of Sappi know that our actions contribute to the benefit of people, planet and prosperity. We are in the process of moving from trying to reduce our environmental impact, to one in which we can make a positive net contribution. This is a daily learning process. Knowing that we have a role to play, that affects the world and its history, only strengthens our resolve.

W: www.sappi.com