Biodiversity loss, Pulp & paper, APRIL, officeworks, paper product, pulp and paper industry,
(AAP via insideretail.com.au) -- Stationery and equipment retailer Officeworks has ceased doing business with paper supplier APRIL over claims it is illegally logging Indonesian forests.
Asia Pacific Resources International (APRIL), which owns one of the world's largest paper mills, was accused of unsustainable clearing of Indonesian land in an episode of ABC's Foreign Correspondent earlier this month."Serious allegations were recently brought to our attention regarding the operations of one of our suppliers, APRIL," Officeworks MD Mark Ward said in a statement on Wednesday."We have reached the decision to suspend all procurement of APRIL products with immediate effect."The decision follows in the footsteps of Fuji Xerox Australia, which announced it was cutting ties with APRIL just two days after the claims were broadcast.Officeworks said it took its environmental responsibility seriously and spoke with APRIL as well as environmental groups during its investigation of the claims.
Ward said the company had advised APRIL of its decision.APRIL later issued a statement rejecting the allegations."All of our wood supply comes from legal sources," it read."No illegal wood enters our supply chain."It said its fibre supply was independently verified as from renewable plantations and that APRIL also worked extensively to protect high-conservation value forests.The statement did not mention Officeworks' decision to pull the plug on their business transactions.
Source: insideretail.com.au