Asia Pulp & Paper in ‘Full Compliance’ with EU Ecolabel

European Commission report rules that Pindo Deli products meet Ecolabel standards

JAKARTA, Indonesia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An official report by the European Commission has ruled that key products manufactured by Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) in Indonesia meet all of the criteria for the EU Ecolabel - a standard designed to reassure consumers that they are buying goods which are ‘kindest’ to the environment.

“The EU audit is just one of the environmental validations which Asia Pulp & Paper has received in recent years. We believe all stakeholders can use these findings as a true, independent verdict on our environmental credentials.”

The Commission asked French audit firm AFNOR to carry out an in-depth investigation into copying and graphic paper produced by Asia Pulp & Paper’s Pindo Deli manufacturing centre, its pulp and pulpwood suppliers in Indonesia. In a statement published on the official European Commission website, it says:

“The Audit clearly proves that there was full compliance with the criteria of the EU Ecolabel for copying and graphic paper valid at the time, especially on criterion 3 - sustainable forest management.”¹

Asia Pulp & Paper Managing Director Aida Greenbury said: “We are delighted that APP’s copying and graphic products will continue to carry the EU Ecolabel, which is only awarded to the very best environmentally-friendly products. Asia Pulp & Paper welcomed the AFNOR audit as an opportunity to disprove any suggestions of non-compliant practices in our manufacturing centres made by international NGO, FERN.”²

Some of the key findings of the EU audit were:

• It was proven that 88% of the fibre in the products came from APP’s own plantation forests ‘in compliance with the forest management program administered by the Indonesian Government’. The remaining 12% consisted of fibre from sustainably-managed certified sources.
• Virgin fibre used in the products ‘came from forests managed under the principles of sustainable management’.
• Chain of Custody Certificates were provided for each (external) supplier of pulp. The audit validated by checking invoices or documents related to the delivery that the pulp was made up of fibres from certified forests.³

Ms. Greenbury added: “The EU audit is just one of the environmental validations which Asia Pulp & Paper has received in recent years. We believe all stakeholders can use these findings as a true, independent verdict on our environmental credentials.”

About APP:

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is a brand umbrella for paper products which are produced by several mills in Indonesia such as PT Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk, PT Pindo Deli Pulp & Paper Mills, PT Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia Tbk, PT Lontar Papyrus Pulp & Paper Industries, PT Ekamas Fortuna and PT The Univenus. APP’s is headquartered in Indonesia and markets its product to more than 120 countries. Most of APP’s production facilities are Chain-of-Custody certified by LEI and PEFC. APP supports several main conservation initiatives, including a 172,000 hectare Biosphere Reserve in Giam Siak Kecil - Bukit Batu and an area of 106,000 hectare for the Senepis Tiger Sanctuary. Both are located in the province of Riau, Sumatera. Other APP wildlife preservation initiatives include the support of the Kutai Orangutan Program in Kalimantan and the conservation of the Javan Rhino in Ujung Kulon National Park. For more information about APP initiatives, visit www.rainforestrealities.com.

¹ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/news/pindo.htm

² http://www.fern.org/sites/fern.org/files/Pindo%20Deli%20Ecolabel%20press%20release_0.pdf

³ http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/news/archives/pindo.pdf