SOUTH AFRICA (News release) -- Sappi Limited, a leading producer of dissolving pulp sold under the brand name Verve, is pleased to announce that it has completed a self-assessment of the Higg Facility Social and Labour Module (FSLM) at its Ngodwana and Saiccor Mills in South Africa.

The self-assessment results were very positive and highlight Sappi's commitment to maintaining a high level of social and labour practices. Ngodwana and Saiccor Mills produce dissolving pulp under the Verve brand, which is used primarily in the textile and hygiene product industries.

Developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the Higg FSLM is part of a suite of tools that enables manufacturing facilities within the textile value chains to measure themselves against a standard set of criteria in the areas of recruitment and hiring, working hours, wages and benefits, worker treatment, worker involvement, health and safety, termination and management systems.

According to Mohamed Mansoor, Executive Vice President for Sappi Pulp, "Verve is taking bold action supporting the call for collective action to improve the transparency and traceability of the supply chain that we serve. Using a common language through industry benchmarking, like the Higg FSLM, plays a key role in identifying priority focus areas and driving accountability. I am encouraged by the self-assessment results which continue to highlight Verve as a Fibre of Choice and look forward to our operations participating in the verification audit next year."