Tsb Sugar is well known for its environmental awareness and is proud of its track record over the last 30 years. Striving for environmental leadership at a time when environmental concerns are widely debated and stricter environmental legislation is expected, Tsb Sugar is committed to operating in an environmentally friendly way.

The environmental focus is directed towards the following:

• Resource conservation (water, air, soil)
• Environmental and eco-conservation
• Educational and awareness programmes
• Benchmarking and auditing

Rural Development Programme (RDP) projects

Resource Conservation

Prevention of pollution receives constant and dedicated attention. Pollution of water, air and soil is monitored and controlled in accordance with the relevant legislation, whereby Tsb Sugar's internal standards are equal to, or stricter than, current legislation.

The sugar manufacturing process fortunately leaves virtually no waste. Value is added to by-products such as molasses and bagasse, which are used as the primary raw materials in the production of fibre board, stock feed and other useful products. Insolubles like dust and other natural particles form an ideal organic fertilizer which is ploughed into the sugar cane fields.

Tsb Sugar is justly proud of the fact that through cost-effective and proactive management, we have managed to mitigate or eliminate the pollution risk from our activities at the group's sugar factories and cane growing sites.

Waste

Landfill sites are also being addressed. The landfill site at the Komati Mill was one of the first landfill sites to be permitted by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry under the new "Minimum requirements for Waste Disposal by Landfill" regulations. The landfill site at the Malelane Mill is in the process of being permitted, whilst all the small landfill sites on the estates will be permitted through an internal permitting system, using the "Minimum requirements for Waste Disposal by Landfill" -documents as well as the "Waste-Aquifier Separation Principle" (WASP, developed by the CSIR) as the norm.

Environmental Conservation

Any industrial or farming activity in this beautiful part of the Lowveld, impacts on the environment in various ways. Conserving the natural environment and reducing the negative environmental impacts from our activities have been of paramount importance to us over the past 30 years. A major part of our time and effort is therefore dedicated to conserving resources and maintaining the ecological equilibrium of our environment. 
These conservation measures include:

• The elimination of alien vegetation and plant invaders from our land.
• The formation and management of small conservancies on our properties to conserve certain small ecosystems and natural veld systems.
• The planting of only indigenous trees on our properties.
• The identification and marking of trees for educational purposes, especially in the Malelane Mill area.
• Active participation in environmental campaigns.
• On Arbor Day in 1995, as in previous years, approximately 650 indigenous trees were planted at various sites on our properties.
• The continued management of the Tenbosch Game Farm, the Swartvlei Bird Sanctuary and the Kaalrug hiking trail.
• Awareness programmes which are launched internally in conjunction with the National Parks Board for teachers.

Education and Awareness Programmes

Education and awareness programmes on environmental matters form the cornerstone of any successful initiative, and will hopefully result in a commitment by every member of our staff to support and uphold the environmental policy and value system. The environmental education and awareness drive at Tsb Sugar is primarily aimed at three audiences, i.e. :

• The employees of Tsb Sugar
• The school children in the area
• The broad community

Open days for farmers and other interested parties have been planned, specifically aimed at the eradication of invading plants.