Guys, guys, guys, this does not help the “print is green” cause one whit. Via
Environmental Leader, a new Greenpeace report,
“The Ramin Paper Trail” (link opens Word file) found that:
wood pulp from Asia Pulp & Paper mills includes a protected species of trees, ramin. Greenpeace said it found the protected species mixed in with other hardwoods inside the gates at Indah Kiat Perawang mill, APP’s primary supplier in Indonesia.
Independent testing and supply chain research into copy paper, office supplies, packaging, books and other printed materials from a variety of companies then revealed the presence of Indonesian rainforest fiber from APP mills, originally sourced from Indah Kiat Perawang, Greenpeace said. National Geographic, Xerox, Walmart, Mondi Gorup, Acer, Parragon Publishing, Constable & Robinson, Barnes & Noble, Danone, Nippecraft, and Progressive Enterprises all used these fibers, Greenpeace said.
APP responded:
APP is grateful to Greenpeace for bringing this report to our attention. We take very seriously any evidence of violation of the regulations concerning the protection of endangered tree species.
APP will now study the allegations very closely. A specialist APP team has been sent to the Indah Kiat mill to determine whether there is any substance to the claims. We will inform our stakeholders once this process is completed.
It’s issues like this that make chain of certification programs all the more necessary.
About Richard Romano
Richard Romano is Managing Editor of WhatTheyThink. He curates the Wide Format section on WhatTheyThink.com. He has been writing about the graphic communications industry for more than 25 years. He is the author or coauthor of more than half a dozen books on printing technology and business. His most recent book is “Beyond Paper: An Interactive Guide to Wide-Format and Specialty Printing.
