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Our commitment to protecting the planet extends far beyond how we make paper.

Planet

Managing and mitigating the environmental impact that arises from our operations is our commitment to the planet we all share. This means reducing our emissions, conserving water and energy and decreasing waste—all while simultaneously protecting and safeguarding biodiversity and procuring raw materials, including wood, from trusted and sustainable sources.

In North America, we have set the following five-year goals (from a 2007 baseline, which were revised in 2009 to reflect the closure of Muskegon Mill operations) to guide our sustainability efforts:

  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels by 40% across all sites.
  • Decrease organic content of solid waste by 50% across all sites.
  • Increase the level of third party chain of custody certified fiber to an average of 60% across all sites.

Here is a quick look at some of our most notable environmental achievements:

  • Sappi Fine Paper North America has the lowest carbon footprint amongst domestic coated paper suppliers.
  • Over 83% of the total energy consumed at Sappi Fine Paper North America’s coated fine paper mills is generated on site from renewable resources including hydroelectric power, the burning of biomass and black liquor (recovered lignin).
  • From 2004-2009, Sappi Fine Paper North America has:
    • reduced the amount of solid waste sent to landfills by 51% 
    • reduced water consumption by 23%
    • reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 36% 

Updated December 2009.

Contact a Sappi Representative

Laura M. Thompson Ph. D.
Director, Sustainable Development & Technical Marketing 207.856.3851

In this section

Energy & Emissions

More than 75% of the energy used in our mills is produced by renewable resources.

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Recycled Fiber

Recycling paper reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by landfills.

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Forestry Practices

Sustainable forestry practices are essential to not only the health of our industry, but the health of our planet.

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