Asia Pacific Rayon Hits Sustainability Milestones in Less Than Two Years
Jakarta. Indonesian viscose rayon producer Asia Pacific Rayon, or APR, has achieved numerous milestones in promoting sustainability in less than two years, the company's sustainability report showed.
Earlier this year, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo formally inaugurated APR’s facility — which is Indonesia’s largest viscose rayon facility to date — in Riau, Sumatra. Even so, the facility had already kicked off its operations in 2019.
The 240,000-ton capacity mill seeks to strengthen the national textile and textile product industry as part of the government’s “Making Industry 4.0” vision. Aside from bolstering the textile sector, APR has also actively rolled out efforts for clean manufacturing, sustainable sourcing, and supporting local communities and employees.
The company has also recently launched an inaugural sustainability report which details the accomplishments of the said efforts.
APR’s inaugural sustainability report revealed the company aims to reduce air emissions from its viscose-making process. They plan to recover over 90 percent of carbon disulfide from their production. In 2019, the average recovery rate was 89.2 percent, just a few steps closer to the target.
“In the first six months of 2020, APR average carbon disulfide recovery rate was slightly lower at 87.7 percent as a result of absorber challenges which have since been resolved. APR is on track to achieve the target of above 90 percent,” the report said.
Around 90 percent of APR’s production is powered by energy from renewable resources such as palm empty fruit bunches, bark, pulp fiber, and palm shell.
The report also listed numerous sustainable certifications that APR has obtained.
APR is Indonesia’s first responsible viscose manufacturer, according to the Swiss-based certification organization OEKO-TEX. APR’s viscose fiber also carries the toxin-free FKT label. They have also secured other certifications such as ISO 9001 for quality management and 14001 for environmental management systems.
Despite these achievements, APR does not rest on their successes when it comes to sustainability.
In September, APR updated its sustainability policy, strengthening its clean manufacturing commitment to the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZHDC) Roadmap. They have also adopted a time-bound roadmap to meet the emissions and consumption levels set out in the European Union Best Available Techniques (EU BAT).
Last May, APR launched a mobile app that provides full traceability of its products from seed to fiber.
APR director Basrie Kamba highlighted how sustainability was fundamental to the company's operations.
"In our first 18 months of business, we focused on laying a strong foundation by embedding sustainability in the way we operate — whether as a manufacturer, an employer, a member of the local community or a global corporate citizen,” APR director Basrie Tamba said in a statement on Thursday.
“Our operations are guided by our sustainability policy. We sought to actively monitor our performance to develop a baseline from which to improve on, and to benchmark ourselves against industry peers, to be a top quartile viscose producer,” he said.
A Helping Hand
The report also outlines how APR has been actively helping fight the global pandemic. Along with its parent entity APRIL, the company has provided 15,000 personal protective equipment gowns, 150,000 surgical masks, and gloves to Riau’s Covid-19 taskforce.
“Between April to June 2020, APR made nearly 88,000 fabric masks and distributed them to employees, their families, and households in the Kerinci complex,” the report said.
On the pandemic-hit Ramadan, APR and APRIL distributed 11,000 care packages to impacted communities in 176 villages across Pelalawan. They have also produced 88,000 environmentally-friendly face masks distributed to employees, families, and households in surrounding communities.
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