Asia Pacific Rayon (APR), with TESTEX, a Swiss testing and certification organisation for textile and leather testing, has selected STeP by OEKO-TEX certification to communicate its commitment to sustainability. Speaking to TESTEX about choosing STeP for sustainability, Ben Poon, business head, APR, spoke about its strategy for sustainable production.
“Sustainability is fundamental to APR. We firmly believe in the value of continuous improvement and transparency in guiding our sustainability efforts and engagement with stakeholders through open dialogues. APR strives to be a leading viscose rayon producer committed to the sustainability, transparency and efficiency of our operations, serving the interests of communities and country, and delivering value with renewable fibre to our customers,” Poon said in an interview with TESTEX.Asia Pacific Rayon (APR), with TESTEX, a Swiss testing and certification organisation for textile and leather testing, has selected STeP by OEKO-TEX certification to communicate its commitment to sustainability. Speaking to TESTEX about choosing STeP for sustainability, Ben Poon, business head, APR, spoke about its strategy for sustainable production.#
Speaking on its reasons for becoming STeP certified, he said that they are committed to becoming the most responsible viscose manufacturer operating in line with leading international standards. Talking about how does the OEKO-TEX certification scheme helps them in sustainable production with stakeholders and target setting with buyers, Poon said, “It helps communicate our commitment to sustainability - responsible manufacturing, transparency, good chemical management etc. Adding OEKO-TEX certification to our product portfolio provides an additional level of assurance to our customers.”
Discussing about the innovative technologies installed in APR facilities to enhance efficiency, save resources, reduce consumption, encourage circularity, and reduce costs, Poon said, “We are a fully integrated plantation to Viscose fibre facility. Our energy is produced from 100 per cent renewable resources. Our facility is equipped with the latest CS2 recovery plant to ensure maximum chemical recovery and reuse rates. We have set targets for key sustainability KPI’s with defined timelines for achievement.”
“Each module has its unique challenges. We appointed a senior manager as the owner of each module to oversee and manage the challenges. One of these challenges was having to re-design our entire shift schedule to ensure full compliance with the standard,” Poon added.
Speaking about the next steps for sustainable production journey, Poon said, “We are in the process of adopting the ZDHC chemical management guideline for full compliance with MRSL 2.0. We are also in the process of applying for the EU EcoLabel certification.”
Commenting on the experience working with TESTEX to obtain STeP certification, he said, “The auditors from TESTEX were diligent, professional and attentive. Their knowledge of the STeP standard was impeccable and they were able to assist us with all our enquiries.”
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)
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