Indonesia-based viscose staple fibre producer Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) is aligning operations with the industry’s best practice and standards. As per Textile Today, the company, which holds PEFC chain of custody certification, is using 100 per cent certified dissolving wood pulp, ensuring that the forest-based material contained in a product originates from sustainably managed plantations.

The APR facility also has ISO and Step by OEKO-TEX® certification, which confirms APR’s production processes and facilities have been comprehensively assessed and verified by independent third parties to have met all relevant standards, in terms of chemical management, environmental management and performance, social responsibility, quality, and workplace safety. APR has also added a number of product level certifications in the first two years of operations. These include the USDA Biobased, OEKO-TEX® STD 100; OEKO_TEX® Made in Green Label; Medically tested for skin compatibility, Seedling and DIN-Geprüft industrial compostable certifications.

The USDA bio-based certification confirms that APR’s products are 100 per cent plant-based, while the OEKO-TEX® STD 100 certificate states that APR’s products have been tested for harmful substances and that they are harmless to human health.

The Made in Green Label provides an added layer of assurance, transparency, and product confidence that customers expect, as it verifies that an article has been tested for harmful substances and guarantees that the fibre has been manufactured using sustainable processes under environmentally friendly and socially responsible working conditions.

The latest certificates confirm the biodegradability of APR’s fibres in fresh water and soil. The tests for the certifications were carried out by independent research laboratory Organic Waste Systems and, as a result, APR’s viscose staple fibres have been awarded the international OK biodegradability WATER and OK biodegradability SOIL labels by accredited certification board, TUV Austria.