From waste to purpose in Minnesota

At our mills, we're on a continuous journey to reduce waste and maximise material and resource use. These 'eco-effective' operations help us transition to the circular economy our planet demands.

At our Cloquet Mill in Minnesota, eco-effectiveness is now an award-winning endeavour. In 2019, we received a SEAL Business Sustainability Awards for Environmental Leadership because of our innovative programme that turned waste into a new resource for the community. 

In true circular design, instead of sending boiler ash and lime mud by-products to landfill, we repurposed them into sustainable agricultural fertiliser for the local community’s use as part of Minnesota’s Land Application Programme. 

Since the programme began in 2014, we have both reduced waste and supported farmers with natural byproducts from our mill that reduces their need for commercial chemical products. As of 2020, we've provided 200 tons of materials to 300 sites per year, with some farmers seeing a 30 percent increase in crop yield. Tom Radovich, Managing Director of Cloquet Mill, explains:

"Our investment in sustainable solutions is a continued priority for the leadership team at Sappi and this award is a proud moment for all the employees and community members involved." 

He goes on to note: "The accomplishments of this programme are possible because of the combined efforts with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's ag-lime programme and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. We look forward to developing more opportunities with these agencies for waste repurposing and other sustainable benefits."