Making an impact
by driving shared value
What it's about
Sappi uses recovered board and paper to supplement virgin fibre in the papermaking process, used in packaging paper grades at Tugela and Ngodwana Mills.
To meet this need, Sappi ReFibre, SSA’s secondary fibre division, sources used paper products from an extensive network of agents across the Southern African region as well as from waste producers.
Key developments
In FY2019, ReFibre:
- Sourced 126,995 tons of recovered cardboard boxes to a value of R211 million from 70 individual recycling companies
- Continued with the shift in focus established in 2018 to focus more intensively on SMME development
- Helped 11 SMME start-up recycling companies, spending ZAR4.9 million on the acquisition of baling equipment.
Over the last two years we have supported a total of 23 100% black-owned recycling companies in South Africa and have made a total capital investment of ZAR9.5 million into these companies
Supporting recycling businesses
Under our ESD programme, we are supporting Eco Care Holdings, a paper and plastic recycling business, in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria. We supplied a small baler in November 2017 and the business has grown. We have now invested in a bigger baler that has the potential to positively effect production growth. Our investment in 2019 was ZAR1.3 million.
Fast facts about Eco Care Holdings
- 100% black women owned
- In operation since 2013
- Total permanent staff complement of nine
- Assists many informal waste pickers and runs numerous buy back centres (estimated at 95) in the local community
- ZAR5 million capital investment from the Department of Environmental Affairs in 2018/2019
- Income generated out of sales to Sappi in FY2019 = ZAR1.02 million
- Identified as a Sappi ESD Tier 1 supplier and currently under a formal Sappi mentorship programme.
Shared value impact
- Sappi provides equipment, business support and a market for suppliers, who benefit economically
- In return, we have a steady supply of raw materials
- What's more, recovering paper and board is environmentally sound, because it reduces impact on landfill.