Sappi North America Releases 2015 Sustainability Report

The seventh annual report in Sappi North America's sustainability series highlights its excellent goal performance and a clear, aspirational vision for the future

BOSTON, April 28, 2016 /CNW/ -- Sappi North America, a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper and packaging products, has announced the release of its 2015 Sustainability Report. The report showcases Sappi's industry leading sustainability performance.

"Each year, we look forward to reporting our progress against the five year goals we set to ensure that Sappi North America continues as a thriving, sustainable, re-investable company," said Mark Gardner, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have an eye to the future and are committed to make those decisions which best position our company in the changing business environment."

Sappi's 2020Vision

In 2015, Sappi Limited established an aspirational vision for the future that was structured around concrete, measurable initiatives with clear baselines for performance. The goal to become a truly diversified wood fiber group, targeting a substantial increase in EBITDA through an expanded product portfolio, reflects Sappi's confidence in its ability to evolve with the changing world; continually maintain and improve returns in mature markets; and deliver top-line growth in newer businesses, like specialty packaging.

Sustainability Goals

Sappi North America's sustainability goals are segmented according to the three most critical elements of its business: PEOPLE, PLANET and PROSPERITY. Collectively these goals account for an aggressive approach to increasing safety and education for Sappi employees, building returns on net operating assets through increases in operational efficiency; and reducing energy and raw material waste. Some of this year's performance highlights include:

• 100% of our fiber was procured in accordance with the SFI® Fiber Sourcing standard as well as the FSC® Controlled Wood standard, and 58% of our fiber came from certified sources.
• We remain the manufacturer with the lowest carbon footprint out of all domestic producers of coated freesheet papers in the US, and our combined direct and indirect emissions total just 0.4 tons CO2/ton of product.
• The solid waste sent to landfills reached its lowest level in the past five years, due in large part to the continued expansion of our beneficial use program where by-products are used by local landowners as a soil amendment.

"As a member of Sappi North America's Sustainability Customer Council, I have seen firsthand how invested and dedicated the organization is with respect to its sustainability efforts," said Larry Westlake from Sandy Alexander. "They proactively engineer solutions to promote a sustainable future for not just the paper industry, but everyone."

To read Sappi North America's 2015 Sustainability Report and learn more about its sustainability initiatives, please visit http://www.sappi.com/group/Sustainability/2015-Sappi-North-America-Sustainability-Report.pdf.  

About Sappi North America

Sappi North America, headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our four diversified businesses – high quality Coated Printing Papers, Specialised Cellulose, Release Papers and Specialty Packaging – is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high quality Coated Printing Papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of Specialised Cellulose used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods, and one of the world's leading suppliers of Release Papers with our Ultracast and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Our Specialty Packaging products, such as LusterPrint and LusterCote, represent an important asset in the food packaging and labeling industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit.

Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 13,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at: www.sappi.com/na.

SOURCE Sappi North America

Olga Karagiannis, Sappi North America, [phone], [email protected] Jackie Fraser, Matter Communications, [phone]o, [email protected], http://www.sappi.com/na