and sustainability 2010 - Sappi

Trees and plants are
essential to a stable
climate. They help
remove heat-trapping
carbon dioxide gas from
the air by storing carbon
in their leaves, wood,
roots and soils.
In Sappi’s plantations,
logging is balanced with
re-growth and twigs and
stumps are left behind,
leading to continuous
enrichment of the soil.
There is no solution to climate change
without responsible commercial forestry
The roots also absorb water and minerals from the ground and send them
up through the trunk and out through the branches. Approximately 50% of
the weight of a tree is water and this is used in the manufacturing process.
Renewable • Recyclable • Biodegradable
During the process
of photosynthesis,
leaves use energy
from the sun to
convert carbon
dioxide into organic
compounds,
especially sugars.
The water absorbed
through the roots
‘transports’ these
nutrients throughout
the tree. As the
leaves store carbon,
they give off oxygen.
Wood is produced
in the trunk of a tree.
Tree trunks are
made up of
45% cellulose,
30% hemicellulose,
20% lignin and
5% extractives.
The lignins are
removed before
making coated fi ne
paper and resultant
black liquor, a source
of renewable energy
in integrated
pulp mills.