Sappi sets the pace in Europe
Sappi’s European operations lead the way on how it makes paper and, thanks to FSC and PEFC, in how fibre is sourced as well.
Before the start of this year, Sappi Fine Paper Europe had already notched a number of industry firsts to underline its commitment to the environment. But it did not stop there. In April this year Sappi became the first paper company in Europe to achieve a multi site, cross border chain of custody certification, under both FSC and PEFC, for its entire European operations. It has come at precisely the right time as interest in using certified papers is climbing steeply. “There are a lot of UK companies and printers who understand that final consumers are today very concerned about where their products are sourced,” says marketing communications manager Sue Griffin.
“And both these systems are incredibly well audited, allowing that traceability. People want to know about the management of the forest. Hence the credibility factor is very, very important.”
The chain of custody principle falls in with a long line of environmental achievements that started before the Kyoto accord in 1997 began to open eyes to climate change and the damage that industrial processes were doing to the planet. Since then Sappi has accelerated its efforts. In Europe it was the first company to achieve ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and Emas for its mills and already draws 32% of its energy needs from bio fuels, thanks to combined heat and power plants at these mills. The Blackburn mill in the UK has been operating in this way since 2002. It was also the first to achieve FSC in 2006. This year Sappi’s largest European mill at Gratkorn in Austria switches to a CHP plant which will further reduce dependence on outside energy bringing it in line with Sappi’s other production units. The figures also show a steady decline in key statistics like CO2 and other emissions, consumption of water, and energy usage, while the use of bio fuels increases.
These are gathered as part of a benchmarking process where each of its mills collects data on 80 points, sharing this information to achieve best practice and also resulting in comprehensive data sheets which detail the environmental footprint of each of its product types. “We subscribe to a scheme to report all our CO2 emissions, which gives everybody full awareness of what we are doing,” Griffin adds. “The difference between today and a couple of years ago is that now we talk more about what we have achieved than we used to.”
This is crucial. The drive for green procurement policies means that Sappi is increasingly fielding questions from publishers and others about the environmental performance of its papers. As the company specialises in quality coated woodfree grades, all are made from virgin pulp (although mill broke is added back into the mix which some might consider an element of recycling). This provides the input of stronger fibres that the paper life cycle loop needs as paper fibres can only be recovered six times before becoming too short to be of use.
Sappi is a member of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations which promotes sustainable forest management across the globe and is behind the push for accredited environmental management. It goes further in ensuring that Sappi supports projects that are not just environmentally sound, but which also support communities economically, something close to the heart of a South African company.
In North America Sappi has introduced a 30% recycled WFC which was used for the Live Earth programmes and has been well accepted. The company has nothing against recycled papers, its Croxley Heritage office paper uses recycled pulp and is marketed as good for a company’s environmental profile but which doesn’t cost in terms of brand image. In Europe Sappi may be prepared to test the waters. “There is a perception that recovered paper means a deterioration in quality – that isn’t the case,” Griffin says. “But the argument is complex as you do need to input virgin fibre for a sustainable product.
“Look at the efforts and the attention that the plastic industry is getting for exploring biodegradeable polymers. Paper is already recyclable; it is biodegradeable; it is a safe to use product; it’s natural and renewable; we plant two trees for every one harvested. Sometimes as an industry we don’t say that loudly enough.”