Pulp And Paper Confab Focuses On Sustainability

THE THAI Pulp and Paper Industries Association (TPPIA) hosted the 32nd Federation of Asean Pulp and Paper Industries (FAPPI) Conference last week, focusing on collaborations to move the region's pulp and paper industries towards sustainable growth.

TPPIA president Montri Mahaplerkpong said the objective of the conference was also to move the industry towards better environmental and natural-resources management.

More than 200 participants from 10 economies attended the event, including delegates from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

The event was scheduled to hold presentations and discussions on the management of waste, water, and forest resources.

The FAPPI conference is held every two years, with member countries taking turns to host the event.

The members of FAPPI include pulp and paper associations from Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and new member Myanmar. On this occasion, pulp and paper associations from Taiwan, Japan and South Korea also attended.

The objective of FAPPI 2015 was to strengthen partnerships among member companies of all pulp and paper associations across Asean and East Asia on a number of agendas.

These included updated information on industry situations and trends, progress on sustainable development, proposals of ideas and opinions that concern pulp and paper industries, and sharing of best practices for further development of the industries.

"In Asean, Thailand is the second-largest pulp and paper producer, after Indonesia," Montri said.

"On average, Thailand as the sixth-biggest pulp and paper producer in Asia is capable of producing up to 6.5 million tonnes per year, worth about Bt250 billion. From this amount of production, 70-80 per cent of the products are for domestic consumption while 20-30 per cent are for exports.

"If we combine the production capacity of all Asian countries, the region has the highest production capacity in the world, at about 230 million tonnes per year."

He said FAPPI 2015 welcomed about 200 regional participants, the highest number of delegates to date.

"This reflects the fact that every country is committed to developing Asean and Asian pulp and paper industries collaboratively towards sustainability, and to thrive successfully on the global stage together," he said.

The TPPIA says its mission is to encourage businesses in Thailand's pulp and paper industries to uphold high standards while being environment-oriented. The association supports businesses that generate value-added creations in every step of their supply chain from upstream to downstream.

The TPPIA also strives to solve the issue of raw-material deficiency, encourages people to segregate paper waste for recycling, and urges the government to help make businesses in Thailand's pulp and paper industries as competitive as their counterparts in Asean and the world.