“The pulp and paper industry is responsible for major deforestation and other environmental issues that happen on our planet.”
The industry highly depends on natural sources, such as wood pulp and water, for the making of paper. That is the truth. However, the industry today has long gone past the damaging industry the general public has believed.
As a matter of fact, logging by the pulp and paper industry represents under 10% of all logging, and over 60% harvested wood is not used for paper nor pulp, but for wood products, such as construction materials and lumber.
In addition, forests are crucial for the survival of humanity. Therefore, paper manufacturers do their utmost to manage natural resources effectively, such as by getting legitimate certifications to ensure that used raw materials are obtained from legal sources and replanting multiple trees for each one that is harvested. By doing so, paper companies play a part in managing sustainable forests, ensuring forests to remain pristine, and maintaining natural balance.
The same situation goes for water usage. As much as the industry depends on forests, it never exceeds the amount of water required by paper manufacturers for paper production. Most water comes from local sources, such as nearby rivers, that are vital for the livelihood of the community, so naturally, the industry is obliged to conserve it. Many paper companies use advanced technology to cut down water consumption efficiently and restore safe and clean water back to its source.
Lastly, papermaking does require huge amounts of fuels, but the heightened commitment that the pulp and paper industry has established has driven the industry towards energy independence and fuel efficiency. Now, companies are investing in fuel sustainability, using recycled ingredients and wastes, such as spent cooking liquor and unusable trees, to create alternative fuel, including biomass, bio-gas, and hydroelectricity, that is more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Between 2011 and 2016, greenhouse gas emissions from the industry dropped 15%, and in 2016, the US pulp and paper industry was responsible for just 0.5% of the total CO2 emissions.
BMJ is one of the companies with the aim to develop and sustain a sustainable business in the pulp and paper industry.
BMJ wholeheartedly support responsibility and sustainability
BMJ never compromises—we are always dedicated to achieve balance in whatever we do, be it achieving sustainability or providing supreme-quality products for our customers.
First of all, the pulp that is used in our papermaking process, namely LBKP (leaf bleached kraft pulp), NBKP (needle bleached kraft pulp), and Flax. Each pulp possesses different properties that complement each other to produce good-quality cigarette paper which quality surpasses expectations.
As BMJ prioritizes responsible and sustainable resource management, we only cooperate with legal and legitimate raw material suppliers. To validate it, we have obtained both SVLK and PEFC certifications.
SVLK (Timber Legality Assurance System) is a verification system that ensures legality of the source of circulating and marketed timber in Indonesia. Whole inspection is carried out by the Verification Agency that has attained permits and accreditation from the Accreditation Commission domiciled in the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia and and adhere to the Regulation of the Director General of Forestry Production Development Number P.6/Vi-Set/2009 concerning Standards and Guidelines for Performance Assessment of Sustainable Production Forest Management and Timber Legality Verification. The process itself includes inspection of utilization business permits, identity signs on wood and documents accompanying wood from the logging process, transportation from the forest to the wood production site, processing to packing, and shipping processes, and it is effectively applied in all types of forest management in Indonesia: natural production forest, plantation forest, community forest (owned forest) and customary forest.
PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that endorses sustainable forest management that supports forest owners to demonstrate their responsible practices through certification systems. PEFC has formulated several key documents, such as international standards, benchmark standard, procedural documents, and guidance documents, which companies could use as guides to meet the PEFC certification requirements. Rigorous assessment is done by PEFC Registered Assessors to national and regional forest certification systems to ensure that they are in line with PEFC’s standards and requirements.
BMJ doesn’t stop there. We established an Energy Management Team as part of our goal to reach zero emission. We are implementing new strategies to efficiently use electricity and water as best as possible and reach the highest level at the Carbon Disclosure Project in the long term.
To become a fully sustainable business, especially in the pulp and paper industry, there are numerous challenges that need to be faced. However, the reward at the end of this journey is certainly worth all the hassle. We should never waver and make real efforts to maintain paper industry sustainability, to create a future where people and the industry could have a positive and mutual symbiotic relationship with nature without sacrificing one.
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