Urge Xerox to Sever Ties with Controversial Paper Supplier

[Anonymous]

Urge Xerox to Sever Ties with Controversial Paper Supplier

Goal: Protect rainforests by telling Xerox to drop a paper supplier that uses tree pulp from rainforests and protected tree species.

see the video and save the Sumatra tigers and other species 
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/asia-pacific/app/Tell-app/

As the result of a yearlong investigation by the environmentalist group Greenpeace, paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is being accused of using protected tree species for their pulp. Greenpeace found evidence that the world’s third largest paper and pulp producer is using internationally protected tree species for pulp, and violating Indonesia’s laws in the process. During the investigation, Greenpeace members identified numerous logs of ramin—a protected tree species—mixed in with the other legal logs.

Asia Pulp & Paper representatives once made claims of having “zero tolerance for illegal timber”—this investigation effectively proved otherwise. Interestingly, mapping analysis shows since 2001, when logging ramin became illegal, APP has cleared out an area of ramin habitat measuring twice the size of New York City. This habitat, known as Sumatran peat swamp forests, are not only a critical habitat for the tree species, but also home to several other endangered animal species, such as the Sumatran tiger.

As a result, large affiliates of APP have chosen to cut ties with the supplier. Companies such as Adidas, Mattel, Nestle and Oasis Brands are all taking a strong stand. Oasis Brands said it will “dissolve” ties with APP “in response to company goals and customer demand for sustainability assurance.” Now, Oasis will pursue a paper supplier certified under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Asia Pulp & Paper originally had FSC certification, but had it revoked in 2007 once auditors for the FSC found APP using dubious forest management practices.

It is now time for Xerox, one of the major companies still affiliated with Asia Pulp & Paper, to cut its ties. While we wait for government action against APP, companies can take matters into their own hands by refusing to do business with such an environmentally hostile paper provider. Sign below to urge Xerox to discontinue its business with Asia Pulp & Paper.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/asia-pacific/app/updates/
Campaign updates
Our campaign to protect Indonesia’s rainforests changes quickly; our investigations continue to expose APP’s chain of destruction, and more and more global brands are deciding to stop doing business with the notorious forest destroyer. Below, you can follow the latest news on APP and Greenpeace’s campaign to protect Indonesia’s rainforests and peatlands.

Ramin trees are an internationally protected species and come from Indonesia’s peat swamp forests, which are home to the endangered Sumatran tiger. Only 400 remain in the wild.Act with us: tell these companies to stop doing business with APP until they clean up their act!

Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the world’s largest producers of pulp and paper, has been caught red-handed with an internationally protected species, ramin, at their main pulp mill in Indonesia.

This violates Indonesian laws governing the logging and trade in this protected species and shows that APP’s public claim to have "zero tolerance for illegal timber" is yet more inaccurate greenwash.

Ramin grows in peatland swamp forests – which are also habitat for the endangered Sumatran tiger, only 400 remain in the wild. Inside forest concessions now controlled by APP areas of peatland swamp forest twice the size of New York City have been cleared since 2001 – when logging in ramin was officially banned.

The following major companies around the world are still implicated in APP’s illegal -timber scandal, because they have been shown to buy or retail products from APP that contain rainforest fibre: Xerox, Walmart, Countdown, Collins Debden, Acer, Barnes&Noble, Parragon, and Constable & Robinson. You can send an email to their CEOs right now, demanding the act on this information and stop using APP products.

Latest: this is a fast moving campaign so we will amend this page by taking off the names of companies who are acting to deal with APP. Please check our blogs for updates on corporate action here.

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/blog/forests/xerox-honesty-best-policy-when-you-are-caught-trading-app-20120323
Xerox: Honesty is the best policy when you are caught trading with APP
It is three weeks since we launched ‘The Ramin Paper Trail’ exposing that the logyards at APP’s main pulp mill in Indonesia are riddled with illegal ramin logs. We also released evidence showing that 11 companies, including Xerox, had rainforest fibre from APP in their products.

Although Indonesia’s authorities have yet to act on our evidence in Indonesia most of the companies we named are now taking some action to tackle their links to APP. In total eight companies, including Danone and National Geographic, have responded positively to the campaign. Among them Mondi’s response stands out because the company simply put its hands up and confirmed the trade links we had uncovered between it and APP, and agreed to tackle the weaknesses in its policies head on.

By contrast with Mondi and others, Xerox seems to be in a state of denial or confusion. Its public statement claims polices were ‘put in place years ago’ that ensure it has already ceased trading ‘on a global basis’ with APP. Our evidence reveals that Xerox has continued to buy directly from APP throughout 2010 and 2011. In both years, Xerox Hellas (Greece) imported copy paper directly from APP’s Indah Kiat Perawang mill in Indonesia.

Consequently, in December 2011, Greenpeace was able to buy Xerox products in the marketplace coming from APP. Samples of the Xerox-branded copy paper, named ‘Astro’ were bought in Greece and sent to an independent laboratory to test for the presence of Indonesian rainforest fibres (ie Mixed Tropical Hardwoods, MTH). Some 50 percent of the sample was MTH.

So, come on Xerox, let’s face the facts: Given that your own-brand copy paper ‘Astro’ was made by APP in Indonesia using rainforest fibres and was imported into and sold in Greece in 2011, then your ‘No APP’ policy clearly isn’t working.

[Author]

March 27, 2012 at 9:01 AM