Sustainability Report 2019

At Sappi North America, we recognize that strong, sustainable companies don't merely manage against quarterly financial targets — they invest in the people they employ, they make commitments to protect the planet from the wasteful use of natural resources, and they have a clear vision for achieving profitable growth and prosperity for current and future generations.

Since the release of our first Sustainability Report in 2008, we have consistently demonstrated a commitment to transparency, innovation and doing good - environmentally, socially and economically.

The three pillars of sustainability – People, Planet and Prosperity – remain core to our operations. We are committed to helping all our partners across the supply chain understand the true footprint of our business so that they can trust that when they do business with us, they are doing business with a leader in the industry.

In 2019, we lowered injury frequency and severity ratings to record-low levels for the second consecutive year; rolled out an employee recognition program to celebrate the 2,700 acts of excellence from Sappi employees throughout the year; and continued to advance the vibrancy and health of communities through educational and training resources for our employees, and our Ideas That Matter grants. We’re proud of the leaps and bounds we’ve made in safety, sustainability, and community engagement, and we will continue to aim even higher in 2020.

This past year was full of new advancements, including our Somerset Mill in Maine  becoming certified to the ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System (FSMS) standard, a new addition to our paperboard packaging line, and the acquisition of a new pulp mill in Quebec, Canada. We believe that investing in our employees and communities makes us stronger, with all of our mills successfully upholding Sappi’s environmental sustainability standards and building a strong path toward solving the challenges of the future.

Highlights of our 2019 Sustainability Report include:

  • Excellent industrial safety performance with a Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate of 0.25 for the year—the second consecutive year that we have achieved the lowest result in Sappi North America’s history.

 

  • Commitment to renewable energy resources, generating 73.6 percent of our power from renewable resources like woody biomass, after taking into account Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) sales, 80.8% of our power was generated by renewable resources

 

  • 100% of our wood and pulp is sourced in conformance with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Fiber Standard and 56% is third-party certified under either SFI®, FSC®, PEFC™ or as part of a Point of Harvest program.  

 

  • Strong and innovative waste reduction initiatives, including reuse of byproducts to avoid landfill. With respect to pulp mill losses alone we surpassed our five-year goal, reducing waste by 24.6% over the 2014 baseline.

We have our eye to the future, not only for the evolution of our business and products, but the impact that we will continue to have on our environment. We strive to find sustainable solutions to everything that we do, and we thank you, our stakeholders, for helping us along the way.

To learn more, download a PDF of Sappi North America’s 2019 Sustainability Report here.

Content from this campaign

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Employees Bring Their Charitable Ideas to Life
Through the structured Employee Ideas that Matter (EITM) program, Sappi North America employees bring their charitable ideas to life. For three years, employees have been applying for direct funding to benefit the nonprofit organizations that they are most passionate about, and the winners share $25,000 in corporate giving to support their selected causes.

Social Impact & Volunteering

Sappi Employee Bikes to Support a Cause
Shawn Ray, Financial Analyst at Sappi North America’s headquarters in Boston, felt a personal connection when he decided to participate in the 2019 “Pan-Mass Challenge.”

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Sappi North America's Cloquet Mill Awarded Local Training Grant

Environment

Sappi Uncovers New Values in Trees for Sustainable Future
As Sappi seeks to create sustainable profits while minimizing its impact on the environment, we are reexamining ways to unlock the full value of trees.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Another Record-breaking Year for Employee Safety at Sappi North America
This past year was very special for safety in Sappi North America (SNA).

Social Impact & Volunteering

Beyond This Multimedia Campaign Helping Low-Income Families Is the Ideas That Matter Program
Where the rest of the world sees problems, designers see solutions—which is why Sappi created the Ideas that Matter (ITM) grant program 20 years ago.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

How Union Employees Keep Sappi Safety-Focused and Successful
“We are all in it together,” says Jay Arnston, fiberline control room operator and president of the USW Local Chapter 11-63 at the Cloquet Mill.

Innovation & Technology

Sappi Innovates With Customers in Mind - From Specialty Papers and Packaging to Wood Pulp
Sappi has introduced a new set of tools to showcase the performance of its new paperboard offerings

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Brighter Bites Delivers Healthy Options to Food-insecure Families
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when personal resources are limited, families need fresh, nutrient-rich food to keep them healthy. Since their partner schools are closed, Brighter Bites has quickly shifted gears to deliver produce through a variety of programs and networks, including local food banks, produce distributors, and partnerships with regional grocery chains.

Sustainable Development Goals

Sappi's Pulp and Paper Mills Reduce Waste
Total energy consumed is one of the most important mill metrics we have. It captures the efficiency of our operations in both the numerator (gigajoules of energy used) and the denominator (air-dried metric tons of paper produced).
Sappi Logo

More from Sappi North America

  1. Sappi North America Award Recognitions
    As a a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, and innovator in sustainability, Sappi North America is...
  2. Sappi North America 2022 Sustainability Report
    At Sappi North America, we recognize that strong, sustainable companies don't merely manage against quarterly financial targets — they invest in the...
  3. The Standard
    The Standard is Sappi Fine Paper North America’s educational publication series, demonstrating how printing techniques can serve as a creative tool...
  4. Ideas that Matter
    More than a decade ago Sappi North America established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who generously donate...
  5. 2021 Sustainability Report
    At Sappi North America, we recognize that strong, sustainable companies don't merely manage against quarterly financial targets — they invest in the...
  6. 2020 Sustainability Report
    At Sappi North America, we recognize that strong, sustainable companies don't merely manage against quarterly financial targets — they invest in the...
  7. SAPPI’S ULTRACAST VIVA® WINS GREEN PRODUCT AWARD 2021
    Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced that its Ultracast Viva...
  8. Sustainability Report 2019
    At Sappi North America, we recognize that strong, sustainable companies don't merely manage against quarterly financial targets — they invest in the...
  9. Sappi Renews With U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership for 12th Consecutive Year
    Company’s commitment to minimizing carbon footprint continues with national partnership
  10. Ideas That Matter Stories
    For 20 years, Sappi has supported social impact work performed by designers. During this global crisis and racial justice movement, we checked in with...