Cottonsoft applauds increased APP PEFC product availability

Cottonsoft applauds APP’s increasing availability of PEFC certified products

Auckland, 12 June 2015: Cottonsoft has applauded its affiliate Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) for being awarded the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC) certification, endorsed by PEFC, to more than 300,000 hectares of supplier plantations. Cottonsoft has been producing PEFC certified product since 2009 and this latest development provides yet another option for sourcing with the potential to provide a greater range across the market.

The 306,400 hectares of IFCC-PEFC certified plantations are operated by two of APP’s suppliers in Riau province, Indonesia; PT. Arara Abadi and PT. Satria Perkasa Agung respectively. In addition, more than 1,000,000 hectares of plantation area are in the final stages of IFCC-PEFC certification, with certification anticipated imminently. This means that APP will be much closer to reaching its Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020 target of 100% of pulpwood suppliers achieving sustainable forest management certification by 2020 - significantly ahead of target.

“We are proud of the positive steps APP has taken to achieve Zero Deforestation in the supply chain and the latest certification recognises the effort the company has made to achieve this goal. This achievement is not only important for APP, but increases the availability of certified products around the world,” said Kim Calvert, Cottonsoft’s Country Manager.

“Consumers increasingly demand sustainable and certified products. APP embraces all credible certification schemes, and is a member and supporter of the PEFC. We have been working hard to help develop the Indonesian national sustainable forest management certification, and have helped to ensure that it is fully aligned with globally recognised standards, because we recognise that independent assurance of sustainable forest management is very important for our customers. Through our work to support the development of the IFCC, its endorsement by the PEFC and the hard work of our suppliers in meeting the IFCC’s international standards, we have achieved this goal.

“This is now the third year of the implementation of our zero deforestation commitment. In combination with this commitment, this certification means buyers from APP can be assured that not only are APP’s products of high quality, but that they are certified, traceable and support sustainable forest management across Indonesia.” said Aida Greenbury, Managing Director Sustainability, APP.

Secretary General of PEFC International, Ben Gunneberg said: “PEFC is proud to be associated with first certificates to be issued against the recently endorsed IFCC forest management standard as through these Indonesia is signalling its commitment to sustainable forest management to consumers around the world”

Dradjad H Wibowo, Chairman of the IFCC, added: “Today marks the realisation of a lot of hard work and a long held ambition to secure internationally recognized certification for Indonesia’s forests. Our dual ambition of stimulating the Indonesian economy, assisting small holders whilst protecting one of our most valuable resources, our natural forests, will be significantly bolstered by the presence of the PEFC certificate, which is regarded around the globe as a guarantee of responsibly sourced products”

IFCC was formally endorsed by PEFC in October 2014. As a result APP suppliers’ IFCC-PEFC certified pulpwood provides a new, local source of PEFC certified material. Previously all PEFC certified materials used by APP were imported.

Ends

Notes to editors
In addition to the newly achieved IFCC-PEFC certification, APP pulpwood suppliers are certified to Indonesia’s mandatory Timber Legality Verification (VLK) and/or Sustainable Production Forest Management (PHPL) standards, as well as the voluntary Indonesian Ecolabelling Institute (LEI) standard.

About Asia Pulp & Paper
Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) is a trade name for a group of pulp and paper manufacturing companies in Indonesia and China. APP is responsible for delivering quality products to meet the growing global demand for tissue, packaging and paper. On any given day, our products find their way into the hands of consumers in various branded forms from all over the world.
Started in 1972 with Tjiwi Kimia producing caustic soda, now we run operations across Indonesia and China with an annual combined pulp, paper, packaging product and converting capacity of over 19 million tons per annum. Today, APP markets its products in more than 120 countries across six continents.
Over the years, we have expanded our operations significantly through the acquisition and expansion of several of our pulp and paper mills. It’s our commitment to customer satisfaction that enables us to grow our share in paper sales worldwide and broaden our presence through offices in many countries. We believe ‘tradition and modernity go hand in hand’ which means we value long term relationships as part of our Eastern traditions, while we also are eager to embrace the modern values of innovation and efficiency.
Maintaining the integrity of our supply chain is also crucial to APP’s operations as well as our commitment to our Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020. Learn more about APP’s path to operational excellence by reading our Sustainability Reports and Forest Conservation Policy.

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