Sappi Media Advertorial

The Enviropaedia 2006

World-First Triple Green Paper Range from Sappi

Sixty percent sugar cane. No chlorine. Sustainable afforestation. Sappi Fine Paper South Africa, a division of the global Sappi group, has announced a major upgrade at Sappi Stanger Mill, its coated paper mill in KwaZulu Natal. Known as Triple Green, the upgrade is based on three environmental pillars and research indicates it is a world first. Triple Green is the latest innovation from Sappi, which has an on-going commitment to producing high-quality coated fine paper in a sustainable and environmentally-sound manner. Every product produced at Sappi Stanger Mill is manufactured according to the principles of Triple Green. These products include Avalon Supreme, Dukuza Plus, Crystal Label and Platinum coated fine paper ranges, as well as tissue wadding, which is used in the production of tissue products such as facial tissues, industrial wipes and toilet paper. Were very proud of Triple Green, says Albert Lubbe, Managing Director of Sappi Fine Paper South Africa, and feel it takes our paper production into a new era. Corporations and large companies, in particular, can now choose an environmentally-sound, locally-manufactured coated fine paper for their annual reports, brochures, information leaflets, catalogues, newsletters and similar printed communications. We feel this will be especially important to all the companies listed on the JSEs Social Responsibility Index (SRI), as well as to other companies pursuing or already implementing sustainable development principles. The three pillars on which Triple Green is based are processes that not only minimise the environmental impact of paper manufacturing and ensure long-term sustainability, but assure end users that the procurement chain has been stringently monitored and certified by independent environmental bodies. They represent Sappi Fine Paper South Africas pledge that:

the primary source of pulp used in the production of paper products at Sappi Stanger Mill is

sugar cane fibre, which is sourced from local suppliers the bleaching process is elemental chlorine-free

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fibre

the wood fibre used in the production process is obtained from sustainable and

internationally-certified afforestation, using independently-audited chains of custody for incoming The combined benefits of these three pillars to the environment are not only substantial, but cumulative as well. Sappi Stanger Mill is one of only a few mills in the world that uses sugar cane fibre as its primary source of pulp. The pulp is a by-product of sugar production, being the fibrous material remaining after raw sugar has been extracted from sugar cane. As such, it is not only an annually-renewable resource but, in effect, a recycled raw material. On average, the mills coated paper and tissue wadding has a 60% cane fibre content and this is sourced from local suppliers, many of them previously-disadvantaged growers. This practice not only supports regional enterprise, but also eliminates, amongst others, the need for long-distance road transport, in turn reducing wear and tear on the countrys roads, fuel consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases from haulage trucks. With increasing concerns about energy conservation world-wide, it is equally important that the use of cane fibre in papermaking consumes less energy than traditional methods. This aspect of Triple Green underscores Sappis leadership position in world paper production, says Lubbe, particularly given that only 6,5% of the fibre used internationally for paper production is derived from non-wood sources. The second of the three pillars on which Triple Green is based is the fact the paper is produced without the use of chlorine in the bleaching process. All of the pulp is bleached using an elemental chlorinefree (ECF) process, which has the following benefits:

the bleaching process is particularly benign to the environment and paper treated in this

way is more easily recyclable the use of chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide is internationally accepted as being

environmentally friendly and complies with the stringent environmental regulations of USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and WHO (World Health Organisation)

the use of the ECF process results in the strongest of paper fibres, ensuring that primary the ECF process also provides the highest yield of any bleaching process, also serving to

fibre sources are optimally utilised ensure optimal use of raw materials As far as wood fibre is concerned, Sappi tracks and verifies the sources of all incoming fibre to ensure that it has been produced in renewable tree plantations and has not been derived from ancient, indigenous or rain forests. All wood fibre used at Sappi Stanger Mill is certified by either the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

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or Canadian Standards Association (CSA) International.1 These are the worlds foremost forestry certification programmes and are based on a comprehensive system of principles, objectives and performance measures that have been developed co-operatively by industry, environmental and social bodies. Their aim is to ensure that sustainable afforestation is practiced in synergy with the long-term preservation of the environment, the conservation of flora and fauna and the overall socio-economic welfare of the broader community. In order to receive certification from any of these organisations, wood products must go through a rigorous chain-of-custody auditing process, confirming their origin. Sappis commitment to using only certified source fibre, together with its many conservation programmes, demonstrates that the group is fundamentally committed to preserving indigenous forests and areas with a high conservation value and does not use wood from poorly-managed, non-certified plantations. At Sappi, conserving and protecting natural resources is a fundamental business philosophy. It is an integral aspect of every part of the groups business, as this ensures an investment in its own future as well as in the environment and the communities in which it operates. Triple Green is a reflection of our overall strategy, says Lubbe. Were committed to sustainability in all areas of our business and live this commitment by promoting long-term socio-economic development, ensuring the overall well-being of all people working for and with Sappi, and by carefully managing the impact of our operation on the natural environment. In line with this strategy, Sappi is also deeply committed to good corporate governance in all aspects of its business, which includes its commitment to broad-based black economic empowerment (BEE). In this regard, the group has recently received classification as a Level 6 BEE contributor (enjoying a BB Empowerdex rating). Sappi Stanger Mill also works closely with its main supplier of fibre, Ushukela, a neighbouring sugar mill, which is 100% black owned and therefore a Level 1 contributor. Sappi further supports many environmental initiatives in KwaZulu Natal and across South Africa. Those operating close to Sappi Stanger Mill include the Sappi / WWF TreeRoutes Partnership, the Ixopo Bee-Keeping Project, the Project Grow small timber growers scheme, the Sappi / Endangered Wildlife Trust Blue Swallow Working Group and the Sappi Stanger Mill Environmental Liaison Committee. Groupsupported educational projects in the province include the KwaDukuza Resource Centre, several branches

The FSC is an international network that promotes responsible management of the worlds forests (see www.FSC.org). PEFC promotes sustainable forest management through independent third party forest certification (see www.PEFC.org). CSA International tests products in the USA, Canada and internationally for compliance with national and international environmental and legislative standards, and issues certification marks for qualifying products (see www.csainternational.org). SFI is a sustainable forestry programme that ensures the protection of forests. The SFI programme was developed by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) in order to test and document compliance of its members and licensees with the highest levels of sustainable forestry practice see www.SFI.org).
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of PROTEC (Programme for Technological Careers), the NR Mandela Inanda Seminary and the Sappi Community Libraries Programme. At Sappi, we feel that these investments in our community are as fundamental to long-term sustainability as good corporate governance and environmentally-sound production, says John Rowland, Sappi Stanger Mills General Manager. Our approach is to seek integrated solutions to the challenges facing our business, our staff, our communities and the environment. The Sappi / WWF TreeRoutes Partnership, for example, was created in 1999 with grant funding of R10 million from Sappi. Administered by the WWF, the objective of the partnership is to create and support eco-tourism projects that allow for both the socio-economic development of rural communities and the preservation of rare habitats. Balancing the needs of people and the environment is an essential focus, says Rowland. One of the most significant community-based projects undertaken by Sappi in KwaZulu Natal has kept this balance firmly in mind. The KwaDukuza Resource Centre was established by the group in 1996, after it had identified the need for a centre of this kind to service the communities in which the workers from Sappi Stanger Mill and Sappi Tugela Mill live. It provides educational and ICT facilities, resources and training programmes that would otherwise not be available to these communities. These include a TechnoLab, a Digital Village, Reference Library, TeleVideo Centre, Conference Centre, Teacher and Learner Resource Centre, Print Room and Administration Centre . Triple Green is therefore the latest in a long series of innovations at Sappi, concludes Lubbe, and we hope to see it become a world-standard in paper production in the future. Given the many environmental and social benefits of the process, we look forward to marketing our Triple Green products to corporate companies, publishers, printers and consumers who support the use of recyclable, biodegradable and acid-free local paper, which has been produced from certified and sustainable raw materials. ends.

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