Asia Pulp & Paper begins water security initiative

?New partnership with the United Nations Supports World Environment Day ?

TORONTO, June 5, 2018 /CNW/ - Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has begun a new water security and sustainable living project on Indonesia's Pari Island (Thousand Islands), which includes improving water resource technology, waste management, and providing the community with training on sanitation and hygiene.

As the island primarily depends on tourism, this project will also be working on education programs, teaching tourists smarter water usage, and waste reduction techniques.

The current project is built on the "Community Education to Raise Awareness on Water Security and Water Quality in Small Islands," which was completed on Pari island last year.

As the Chair of the Indonesia Water Mandate Working Group (IWMWG) under the Indonesia Global Compact Network (IGCN), APP, in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Office Jakarta, Habitat for Humanity Indonesia and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), is seeking solutions that would offer better water quality and management by utilizing the lessons learned and recommendations made on Pari Island.

Some of the recommendations are to support local community initiatives, including local entrepreneurs.

APP's initiative coincides with this year's World Environment Day theme #BeatPlasticPollution, working with smaller communities to strive for a waste-free water supply. Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues. In Indonesia, it is estimated that 1.3 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the sea waters. According to the UN Environment Programme, this waste becomes part of the food chain and ends up on many people's dinner tables.

APP plans to expand to other island communities in the country by adopting and further developing the recommendations. Potential communities include the Komodo UNESCO World Heritage site and Biosphere Reserve, the Wakatobi UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and the Berbak-Sembilang proposed UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Through the multi-stakeholder approach, APP hopes its efforts will help the country reach its goal of a 70 percent reduction in its plastic debris by the end of 2025. This will significantly reduce marine plastic around the coastlines and be a major step towards a trash-free Indonesia.

About IGCN

Indonesia Global Compact Network (IGCN) is the Local Network of the United Nations Global Compact, the largest network in the world for corporate sustainability initiatives. A call for companies to equate strategy and operations with the universal principles of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption, and take action that can advance the goals of society.

About Asia Pulp & Paper

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), part of Sinar Mas, is a trade name for a group of pulp and paper manufacturing companies in Indonesia and China. APP is responsible for delivering quality products to meet the growing global demand for tissue, packaging and paper, with an annual combined pulp, paper, packaging product and converting capacity of over 19 million tons per annum. On any given day, APP's products find their way into the hands of consumers in various branded forms from all over the world.

Ensuring supply chain integrity and commitment to the Sustainable Roadmap Vision 2020 are crucial to APP's operations. Learn more about APP's path to operational excellence by reading our Sustainability Reports and Forest Conservation Policy at www.asiapulppaper.com.

SOURCE Asia Pulp & Paper