Sustainable Purpose
Water resilience
We are committed to acting as responsible stewards of water - reducing our water consumption and improving the quality of the water we return to the environment.
Estamos exibindo esta página em English porque ela ainda não está disponível em Português. Esperamos traduzi-la em breve.
Just as water is essential to all life, it is vital to our business too. It nurtures our trees, supports pulp and paper production, and drives steam generation in our mills. We recognise that water stewardship is not only an operational necessity, but also a strategic imperative that’s critical to our long-term success and financial sustainability.
Being responsible water stewards
Sappi’s Group Water Stewardship Policy reinforces our commitment to this vital resource. It acknowledges access to clean water and sanitation as a fundamental human right, as recognised by the United Nations General Assembly. The policy also recognises that our operations have an impact on primary water sources such as rivers and dams, as well as the environments where treated wastewater is discharged.
As climate change intensifies the stress on water globally, Sappi’s Group Water Stewardship Policy underscores the need to build long-term resilience by adopting best practices and a precautionary approach to water use.
Water is an extremely vital local resource, and Sappi's strategy is tailored to respect the unique conditions of the areas where we operate. We gather and analyse data and feedback at the site level to fully understand our water impacts. We use water risk assessment tools to gain valuable insights into local watershed health - including baseline water stress - which inform and guide the development of our water stewardship programmes.
Building water resilience
At Sappi, our approach to water stewardship entails regular monitoring and transparent reporting of key water metrics, ongoing evaluation and adoption of innovative water-related technologies and engagement with stakeholders to ensure that responsible water management is embedded across all levels of our organisation.At Sappi, our approach to water stewardship entails regular monitoring and transparent reporting of key water metrics, ongoing evaluation and adoption of innovative water-related technologies and engagement with stakeholders to ensure that responsible water management is embedded across all levels of our organisation.
In our mills
All of our mill sites operate under comprehensive environmental permits that define strict parameters for water use and wastewater quality.
- All operate with environmental management systems certified according to internationally recognised standards.
- We use Elemental Chlorine-Free (ECF) or Totally Chlorine-Free (TCF) bleaching processes to minimise environmental impact.
- We enhance water efficiency by increasing reuse and recirculation within our mills, significantly reducing the need for freshwater.
- We implement water-focused projects aimed at either reducing overall consumption or improving the quality of discharged water.
On our lands
We apply sustainable forest management practices to conserve and protect water resources.
- We have conducted detailed scenario analyses of our plantations in South Africa to assess water stress levels.
- We have implemented measures to minimise and prevent soil erosion.
- We apply responsible harvesting and extraction practices to reduce runoff risk.
- Our plantations use little to no irrigation, and fertiliser use is kept to a minimum to protect surrounding ecosystems.
- We conserve and rehabilitate wetland ecosystems which are key to providing better water quality and maintaining base flow
Securing water for the future
Learn more about the Sappi WWF Water Stewardship Programme in South Africa, which has been in place since 2021.
Related articles
Taking action on SDG6: water resilience
Just as water is essential for a thriving world, it is vital for our business too. Water plays a critical role in our manufacturing processes, and it’s never been more important to safeguard this invaluable resource to ensure its long-term sustainability.