Paperlinx duo defend use of APP-made paper

APP has recently come under fire from conservation groups who claimed it was planning to log illegally in a national forest in Indonesia.

Despite APP's firm denials of the accusations, some UK merchants have refused to be associated with the company on account of its alleged environmental record. 

However, PaperCo stocks the A-OK coated paper range manufactured at APP subsidiary Gold East Paper. It said this decision was made only after an on-site evaluation.

Bob Ide, PaperCo marketing director, said purchasing decisions were made on a mill-by-mill basis and that the fibre source at Gold East Paper was PEFC accredited.

Howard Smith's Pacesetter is also produced by Gold East.Dave Cooling, group marketing and purchasing director,  said: "The fibre source is PEFC-certified and the mill operates to world-class operational and environmental standards."

Antalis has undertaken an independent investigation into APP and does not stock paper from the manufacturer.

Matthew Botfield, environmental manager, said: "We have concluded that, for Antalis, it is not enough for an isolated paper mill to have demonstrated good environmental standards when its parent company continues to find itself at the centre of a plethora of accusations from the conservation groups."

Middleton Paper has a limited stock produced by Gold East Paper. Elliott Baxter and Robert Horne have both said they do not deal with APP or Gold East Paper.