KwaZulu-Natal Business 2019-20 edition

FOCUS
Developing innovative solutions
for a circular economy
Mondi is committed to best practice in forestry
management and production.
Mondi South Africa is at the forefront of sustainable
business practices. “It’s exciting to be playing a
lead role in Mondi’s sustainability story. There are
so many areas we are proud of but three stand
out for me. From the work we are doing to reduce our water
impact, to managing water catchment areas and wetlands
through our work with partners, to using significantly less
water in our operations. Second is the progress we have
made in becoming a diverse and inclusive workplace, where
people can grow to their full potential and contribute to our
success. And then of course our globally competitive operations
that produce high-quality, fully-recyclable products
from sustainably sourced fibre,” explains Viv McMenamin,
CEO Mondi South Africa.
Sustainable fibre
The sustainable management of our forestry operations is
key in managing our overall environmental impact, helping
to protect ecosystems, and developing
resilient landscapes.
Wood is one of the primary raw materials
and our staff work hard to provide the
best assurance for our stakeholders that
the wood and fibre we use comes from
responsible sources.
Plantation forests in South Africa are
managed in a way that secures their longterm
biological integrity, social value and
productivity.
Maintaining FSC certification of forests
is also an important part of our management
approach. It assures compliance with globally
recognised standards for sustainable forest
management.
Water as a constrained resource
Given the critical importance of water to business,
to local communities and to other stakeholders,
we strive to manage water use wisely
and efficiently – especially in water-stressed
regions. We are committed to reducing the
specific contact water consumption of our
pulp and paper mills by 5% by 2020, against
a 2015 baseline.
Drought conditions in South Africa
remain a concern and we continue to look
for opportunities to improve water security
in the areas where we operate. The focus
is on reducing water consumption, in
particular at the Richards Bay mill.
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