APP-China, one of the largest papermaking companies in the country, announced its first batch of paper products labeled with two "green" certification logos on August 7 in Beijing.

Both the China Forest Certification Council and the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes certified the products. The PEFC is the world's largest and most recognized international forest certification system.

The certification was given to tissues and toilet tissues in the Virjoy brand of household paper products and the entire Gold Flagship-branded copy paper range. Virjoy is the first brand of household paper products in China to receive CFCC and PEFC certification.

Within a year or two, the remaining products in both brands are expected to also be certified by the two systems, according to the company.

The CFCC and PEFC recognized the authentication of each other last year, which has further widened the supply chain of certificated products worldwide and also boosted sustainable forest management globally, experts said.

It is also a landmark initiative for China's papermaking industry, as it has enhanced the international competitiveness of Chinese companies and can help them carry out international trade more smoothly, they added.

"The mutual recognition of authentication between the CFCC and PEFC is a strategic choice to promote sustainable forest management and the internationalization of China's forestry industry," said Wang Wei, the CFCC's director and executive deputy director at the Science and Technology Development Center of the State Forestry Administration.

"We hope to see more companies like APP-China that actively devote energy to promoting CFCC certification and sustainable operation in China to protect the forest resources," Wang said.

Yu Baisong, director of the PEFC China Initiative, said China is not only the world's biggest producer and manufacturer of forest products, but also one of five countries that own the world's largest area of forests.

"APP-China taking the opportunity to support international and domestic forest certification schemes can help more plantations in China follow synchronized global sustainable forest management and can also bring new chances for the company's international trade," Yu said.

"We are proud to be a pioneer practicing sustainable initiatives in China's papermaking industry. The success of receiving the certification is also attributed to APP-China's longterm efforts in sustainable forest management and third-party certification," said Zhai Jingli, deputy CEO of APP-China.

"Products having the two certification labels can prove to our customers that the raw materials are coming from forests under sustainable management and we are environmentally responsible in every link of the production," Zhai said.

Endorsement from the two certification systems could also help break trade barriers APP-China faces in many markets, she added.

Currently, the company has more than 240,000 hectares of certificated plantations, 80 percent of its total. Its 16 subsidiaries of pulp and paper producers and sellers also received PEFC Chain Of Custody certification.

"Customers today are paying more attention to the product's performance in environmental protection, which will encourage more papermaking companies to participate in CFCC and PEFC certification and to realize a rational utilization of forest resources," Zhai said.