Josh Brooks / PackagingNews UK

Brussels gives green light to Asia Pulp & Paper products

A European Commission report has ruled that paper products from controversial board manufacturer Asia Pulp & Paper’s Indonesian business can carry the EU Ecolabel.

The official report, produced by French auditor AFNOR, looked into graphic and copying paper produced by APP’s Pindo Deli manufacturing centre, its pulp and pulpwood suppliers in Indonesia.

It found that the papers met all the criteria required to be able to carry the EU Ecolabel.

A statement published on the official European Commission website said: “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.”

The audit did not look at APP’s board products, but its findings will add ammunition to the company’s response to its regular attacks and challenges from, primarily, Greenpeace.

APP 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.

“APP welcomed the AFNOR audit as an opportunity to disprove any suggestions of non-compliant practices in our manufacturing centres made by international NGO, FERN.”

Key findings of the EU audit included:

- 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”,  while 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.

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