MINNESOTA (News release) -- Sappi Limited, a leading producer of dissolving pulp sold under the brand name Verve, continues to reach new milestones by completing the Higg Facility Environmental Management (FEM) verification audit at its Cloquet Mill. Based in Northern Minnesota (United States), the mill is one of the first dissolving pulp facilities to complete this external verification process. A final score of greater than 80% was achieved which is an endorsement of sound environmental practices employed by the mill. Supporting the call to accelerate transparency in the textile and apparel sector, a detailed performance report will be made available to all key stakeholders on request.

Developed by the SAC, the Higg FEM is part of a suite of tools that enables manufacturing facilities of all sizes to measure and score their environmental performance against a standard set of criteria, allowing for meaningful and credible performance benchmarking in the apparel and textile sector. Across topics such as water use, carbon emissions and labour conditions, consumer goods brands, retailers, manufacturers, governments, NGOs and consumers can use the Higg Index to inform their individual sustainability strategies and drive collective industry transformation.

"As a global leader in dissolving pulp manufacturing, we are excited about the SAC Higg FEM results for our Verve product," said Tom Radovich, Managing Director of Sappi North America's Cloquet Mill. "The Cloquet Mill has always been a key part of our environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives, and we will continue to look for innovative ways to strengthen our position."

Cloquet Mill received a verified score of 100% across energy, water as well as wastewater management highlighting the mill as a pocket of excellence in terms of resource efficiency and emission control. Performance in this industry benchmarking program provides additional assurance to our customers and value chain that Verve is a Fibre of Choice.