The plantation company, SPFL (Southland Plantation Forest Company of New Zealand Ltd.) is located in Invercargill, South Island, New Zealand, and was established by Oji Paper Co., Ltd (OJI) and ITOCHU Corporation (ITOCHU) in 1992, and then joined by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. and Fuji Xerox Office Supply Co., Ltd. SPFL attained Forest Management Certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (Germany) authorized agency, Smart Wood (USA/Following the program of the environmental party, Rainforest Alliance).
In New Zealand, Panpac Forest Products Ltd. of OJI's subsidiary and many other companies have already acquired FSC certification; however, those are for native forest or plantations based on softwood. The eucalyptus plantation of SPFL will become the first FSC certified plantation based on hardwood in New Zealand.
FSC is an NGO (non-governmental organization) established to familiarize sustainable forest management, and the certification covers managed forests sustaining the ecosystem, forest products, woodchip and paper originating from the forest.
SPFL has planted about 10,000ha of eucalyptus since 1992 and is scheduled to start harvesting from October this year (13th year). The trees are processed to woodchip, which is in turn exported to OJI's pulp & paper factory as FSC certified woodchip.
SPFL has paid maximum attention to the unity of local society and the environment, as witnessed by the certification. Another major reason SPFL has proceeded with this acquisition is that consumer demand for FSC certified paper products is increasing.
Fuji Xerox Office Supply acquired certification of CoC (Chain of Custody, certification of administration processing and distribution) for their distribution and sales, and has already started sales of copy paper designated as "C2", "J" and "Ncolor," which is made from FSC certified woodchips produced at OJI's Ebetsu and Nichinan mills, and displays the FSC logo (certified mark). Once SPFL starts woodchip export, it will be possible to mix FSC certified wood from its own plantation into the material for FSC certified paper.
- Individual philosophy of SPFL shareholders
[Oji Paper Co., Ltd.]
A total of 140,000ha of plantation has been established, which is planned
to be expanded to 200,000ha by 2010. OJI requests all overseas plantation
subsidiaries to acquire FSC certification based on the timing of their
first harvest. Japanese capital investment in overseas plantations is
now closely observed as the problem of global warming becomes of greater
global concern. OJI would like to continue to address global issues
through its paper manufacture and play a positive role.
[ITOCHU Corporation]
ITOCHU has developed plantation projects with the philosophy of expanding
its pulp and paper business by developing its own recoverable plantation
resource that is good for ecology as well as increase projects that
contribute to the prevention of global warming. Regarding FSC, ITOCHU
acquired CoC certification and was first to start producing FSC certified
woodchip among Japanese trading houses, and has promoted the handling
of certified products.
[Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. / Fuji Xerox Office Supply Co., Ltd.]
Fuji Xerox and its affiliates recognize that promoting forest conservation
is a corporate responsibility of companies that produce consumables
from natural resources, and has reinforced this by putting its consolidated
company, Fuji Xerox Office Supply at the core. One of the company's
comprehensive activities is the "Eco-Conscious Pulp Plan."
By maintaining a high content ratio of used pulp, plantation pulp and
certified pulp as a recoverable resource, it is aiming to decrease raw
material consumption, which greatly benefits the environment. In addition
to this, from the consideration of "self-sufficiency," it
has joined SPFL.
