Sumatra, Biodiversity loss, Pulp & paper, APRIL, natural forest, paper one, RAPP, wood supply,
Pekanbaru (EoF News)— Environmental groups in Riau expressed their concern over a paper product that allegedly made from wood of natural forest.
Koran Tempo newspaper reported early this week (3/12/2007) that through a letter sent to Chief of Riau Police, PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), a subsidiary of Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL), told that 55 percent of its raw material for pulp production sourcing from wood of natural forest.
The report quoted Rudi Fajar, RAPP’s president director, told Sutjiptadi, the Chief of Riau Police, as saying: “…55 percent of it [pulp raw material] originates from wood of natural forests.”
Executive director of WALHI Riau, Johny S Mundung, said that prior to illegal logging operation early this year, Riaupulp (RAPP) sourced its raw material for pulp production from natural forest. “So, its product, just like PaperOne, has used wood of natural forest previously,” he said.
Susanto Kurniawan, coordinator of Jikalahari, NGOs network to save Riau forests, said the company’s claim saying PaperOne used a 100-pct plantation fiber is a public lie.
The accusation is denied by RAPP lawyer, Hinca Pandjaitan, who told the newspaper (4/12/2007) that the company only needs 96,000 tons of pulp originating from 630,000 metric tons of acacia fiber to produce 120,000 tons of PaperOne product.
Rully Syumanda, forest campaign manager of WALHI, said that PaperOne of green pack is suspected of being made from mixture of natural forest’s wood as well as acacia fiber, Koran Tempo reported Thursday (6/12/2007).
There is no comment available from RAPP (APRIL) on the report saying company’s letter admitted that 55 pct of its pulp production raw material sourced from natural forest.
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