Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) Secures USDA Label Certification

Pangkalan Kerinci – 13 November 2019, Viscose staple fibre producer, Asia Pacific Rayon (APR), has earned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product label.

The label is part of USDA-led BioPreferred Program that assists with the development and expansion of markets for biobased products worldwide and communicates a product’s biobased content.

“The USDA Biobased certification, in addition to the already acquired OEKO-TEX STD 100 certification, demonstrates APR’s commitment to sustainability and driving continuous improvements across our operations,” said Ben Poon, Deputy Business Head of APR. “Using 100% renewable biobased material reduces the reliance for non-renewable petrochemical-based fibres in the textile industry,” he added.

Viscose Staple fibre produced by APR is made from 100% cellulose and is certified as 100% biobased. Consisting of natural plant-polymers, viscose fibres are biodegradable and naturally decompose into the soil.

APR’s fibre supply is sourced from sustainably managed plantations and forests, following internationally recognized certification standards such as PEFC or equivalent.

About the USDA BioPreferred Program and Certified Biobased Product label

The BioPreferred Program is a USDA-led initiative that assists the development and expansion of markets for biobased products.

The USDA Certified Biobased Product label communicates a product’s biobased content. Expressed as a percentage, biobased content is the ratio of non-fossil organic carbon (new organic carbon) to total organic carbon in a product.

More than 3,500 products have earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product label.
www.biopreferred.gov

About Asia Pacific Rayon:

APR, the first integrated viscose-rayon manufacturer in Asia, commenced operations earlier this year and has a production capacity of 240,000 tonnes per annum. Located in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau province, APR’s wood fibre comes from sustainably-managed plantations that are traceable along the entire value chain from nursery to viscose-rayon.

APR is committed to become a leading viscose-rayon producer that is sustainable, transparent, operationally efficient, serves the community’s and country’s interests and provides value to customers.