Bracell Releases 2017 Sustainability Report, Demonstrates Commitment to Sustainable Operations and Community Engagement

Bracell, a global leading player of high quality rayon-grade and specialty-grade cellulose from plantation wood, has released its 2017 Sustainability Report. The report highlights several achievements in the company’s sustainability journey, including its continued investment in communities surrounding its area of operations in Bahia, Brazil.

A significant milestone for the company was the release of its Sustainability Policy, anchored in the following seven pillars:

• compliance with laws and regulations
• responsible work practices
• development of local communities
• environmental protection and conservation
• transparency and accountability
• impact identification and monitoring
• continuous improvement and customer-centricity

Remarking how sustainability is a journey with everyone, Bracell Managing Director Marcelo Moreira Leite said, “We need to ensure that our products and service suppliers understand the importance of their role in the sustainability of our business and how they should comply with our policy.”

Bracell upskills people from surrounding communities such as these women who now work as seamstresses in a local garment factory.

The report also includes the following achievements:

• increased investments in environmental protection to USD 13.3 million, 14% higher than 2016
• reduced mill water consumption, exceeding the set target
• reduced accident frequency rate in forestry and industrial areas
• expanded community development programmes, benefitting 38,000 people, a 30% increase
• increased the number of women in leadership roles
• increased technical, safety and behavioural training courses for employees

Bracell’s operations include managing 150,000 hectares of freehold timberland and production facilities. It has an annual capacity of 485,000 metric tons of dissolving wood pulp, providing the raw materials and key ingredients for a wide spectrum of products including sunglasses frames, soft ice-cream, sausage casings, cosmetics, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and tyre cords.

You can read Bracell’s sustainability report here.