“At the Cloquet Mill, we are constantly striving for more innovation and more improvement. With tools like the Higg FEM, we are able to collect data, know where we stand, set informed goals, and make a plan for how we can achieve our sustainability strategy and continue to mitigate climate change.”

— Tom Radovich, Managing Director, Cloquet Mill, Sappi North America.

In a significant achievement, Sappi’s Cloquet Mill in Cloquet, Minnesota, is one of the first dissolving pulp facilities to complete an external environmental management verification process.

The mill achieved an overall score of 91.5 percent in 2022 in the Higg Facility Environmental Model (Higg FEM) audit, earning a verified score of 100 percent in the categories of energy, water, and wastewater management. According to Andrew Krelyne Andrew, general manager, sustainability for Verve, Cloquet Mill has been adopting and verifying the Higg FEM for five years. Dissolving pulp manufactured at the Cloquet Mill meets EU Ecolabel requirements for textile and non-woven wood-based fibers, and Verve from the Cloquet operation continues to remain a fiber of choice for their customers.

The Cloquet Mill, one of the newest modern pulp mills in North America, is ISO 14001-certified and has recently undergone significant process improvements from award-winning projects¹ targeting water-use reduction, energy savings, and improving pollution control through equipment upgrades to the boilers. Today, over 80 percent of the mill’s total energy use is from renewable resources, and over 90 percent of the power used is generated on-site from renewable fuels.

Leveraging the power of data and insights from the Higg FEM, Sappi not only tracks and reports annual energy use and carbon emissions but also identifies and prioritizes areas for performance improvement. Cloquet achieves these excellent results through the use of live, online monitoring of various process parameters and focuses on areas that allow for continuous improvement coupled with capital investments.

Cascale manufacturer member Sappi is a leading global provider of everyday materials crafted from wood-based fiber from renewable resources, with raw materials including dissolving pulp, wood pulp, and biomaterials. Aligned with their Thrive strategy, Sappi has set and achieved ambitious sustainability initiatives that include greenhouse gas reduction, specific energy reduction, and landfilled waste reduction. Sappi’s Cloquet Mill prioritizes the protection of the environment through pollution prevention and manufacturing efficiency.

Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sappi employs over 12,000 individuals in manufacturing facilities in nine countries on three continents. Sappi is a diversified, innovative, and trusted leader focused on sustainable processes and products, building a more circular economy using every part of the tree.