APP to Source 100% of Fiber from Tree Farms by 2015
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Asia Pulp & Paper group (APP), Jakarta, Indonesia, reports that by 2015 it will source 100% of its pulpwood from plantations (tree farms), as part of its recently-launched Sustainability Roadmap for 2020 and beyond. APP says that being "wholly plantation-reliant by 2015" puts it "10 years ahead of the publicly-stated goals coming out of other global paper industry players."
Ian Lifshitz, North American director of sustainability and public affairs for APP, notes that "the old way of gauging a paper product's sustainability was to look at percent of recycled content, but this should not be the only barometer. Fiber age is equally if not more important. Our business aim is to be wholly reliant on tree farms in Southeast Asia, and trees from these plantations can be harvested, re-planted, re-grown, and harvested again in just six years. That is obviously in stark contrast to the process of harvesting old-growth trees in North America – a process that takes 70 to 80 years.
"There are so many misconceptions about what it takes to be environmentally conscious," Lifshitz continues. "For example, despite all of its benefits, recycling does require intense amounts of energy and chemicals for the deinking process. The important thing to remember is that trees grow back. In that regard, they should be considered a crop, and nowhere in the world do trees grow faster than in Indonesia and China."
This week's announcement follows an earlier company report that its production mills are the first in Indonesia to achieve SVLK certification, the country's new wood legality standard.
APP is a brand umbrella for paper products produced by several mills in Indonesia, including PT Indah Kiat Pulp & Paper Tbk, PT Pindo Deli Pulp & Paper Mills, PT Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia Tbk, PT Lontar Papyrus Pulp & Paper Industries, and PT Ekamas Fortuna.
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