Cottonsoft Willing To Meet WIth Greenpeace

Media Statement 22 November 2011

COTTONSOFT WILLING TO MEET WITH GREENPEACE TO PRESENT INDEPENDENT RESEARCH RESULTS

Cottonsoft has declined Greenpeace’s request for a copy of the results of the independent testing of three of its mainstream New Zealand retail products, because the company has no faith in Greenpeace’s intentions to engage fairly, constructively or in the best interests of its 130 staff.

However, the company says it will discuss the results with Greenpeace if it changes its previous position and agrees to meet with Cottonsoft representatives.

Cottonsoft’s corporate affairs director Steve Nicholson says, “We commissioned the independent testing by Covey Consulting following Greenpeace’s erroneous attack on our business. We took this further step following confirmation from Integrated Paper Services, the company which did the initial testing for Greenpeace, that the exaggerated claims about ‘trashed Indonesian rainforest’ were not supported by the data.

“Since Greenpeace’s attack, we have tried hard to engage with Greenpeace staffers and made repeated requests to them to meet to hear their views and present our evidence for the ethical and environmental soundness of our products. We did so because we are a professional New Zealand business and appreciate the need to deal productively with all interest groups.

“It is disappointing that Greenpeace has consistently declined our invitations, preferring to maintain its strategy of public attacks on Cottonsoft.

“Cottonsoft has been put in a no-win situation. We have worked hard over the years to get full certification for our retail products, but no matter what evidence we have presented, Greenpeace has dismissed it as ‘greenwashing’, preferring to attack rather than talk. They have rubbished and dismissed us at every turn, and treated our valid PEFC certification, which is internationally recognized, as illegitimate, all because it suits their agenda.

“Therefore, we don’t see any purpose in acceding to the request for the research – however, we would gladly present and discuss the results of the research if Greenpeace would sit down at the meeting table with us.”

ends

About Cottonsoft

Cottonsoft Limited has been in business for 25 years in New Zealand. It is a tissue-converting company which manufactures toilet tissue, paper towels and serviettes for New Zealand’s supermarkets and commercial organisations. Its products include Tuffy Paper Towel and Paseo, CottonSofts and KiwiSoft Toilet Tissue.

About APP
Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) is brand umbrella for paper products manufactured by a number of mills in Indonesia, inter alia PT. Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk, PT. Pindo Deli Pulp and Paper Mills, PT. Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia Tbk, PT. Lontar Papyrus Pulp & Paper Industries, PT. Ekamas Fortuna and PT. The Univenus in Indonesia. APP markets its products to over 120 countries. The majority of APP’s production facilities hold Chain-of-Custody certification from LEI and PEFC.

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