Ajinomoto Group Paper Procurement Guidelines
Ajinomoto Group
Enacted : January 2012
Revised : March 2015
Revised : April 1, 2019
1. Purpose
Paper is one of the important raw materials that support the business activities of the Ajinomoto Group. Recently, it has been pointed out that certain timber production creates deforestation and human rights violation problems. Thus, inappropriate procurement of paper can have a negative impact on the environment and society. On the other hand, the Ajinomoto Group supports the sustainable management of forests, which is covered by the goal 15 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Due to such circumstances, the Ajinomoto Group sets this guideline in order to procure socially and environmentally appropriate paper from appropriate manufacturer that comply with laws and regulations and are not involved in environmental and social issues
2. Applicable Materials
This Guideline is applicable to paper that Ajinomoto Group companies procure for their own business. This paper includes the followings:
Office-use paper (copier paper, envelopes, printed materials, etc.)
Paper used for containers and packaging
Paper used for promotional materials (signage, furniture, point-of-purchase advertisements, etc.)
3. Criteria and Direction
Criteria
Paper that is not derived from deforestation in areas of high conservation value 1)
Paper that is not produced by companies that is involved in serious environmental and/or social problems such as violation of laws and regulations of production areas and international human rights standards 2) 3)
Direction
Paper products are classified into the following three categories based on the Criteria. Paper products corresponding to Category 3 shall not be procured.
| Category 1 | Paper products for which conformity to the Criteria i and ii can be confirmed by certification body such as FSC® and PEFC, or paper products that can be confirmed as 100% recycled paper produced without deforestation. |
|---|---|
| Category 2 | Paper products that is verified by suppliers as well as Ajinomoto Group as having been produced using timber harvested without deforestation. Paper produced with timber that is certified as the Controlled Wood by FSC® or verified to meet equivalent conditions of the Controlled Wood as well as recycled materials can be classified into Category 2. |
| Category 3 | Paper products for which conformity to the Criteria i and ii cannot be ascertained. |
Contents of these guidelines shall be reviewed regularly.
1) Scope of Forest of High Conservation Value (HCV) includes Species diversity, Landscape-level ecosystems and mosaics, Ecosystems and habitats, Ecosystem services, Community needs and Cultural values. For definitions and detailed explanations, please refer to the “Common Guidance for the identification of High Conservation Values (WWF)”.
2) The Ajinomoto Group supports international human rights standards, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-Up, and the United Nations Global Compact in the Group Shared Policy on Human Rights.
3) FSC® discloses organizations that were involved in socially and/or environmentally destructive forestry practices in the past and/or present, and have no improvement in the practices. The Ajinomoto Group companies shall not purchase paper from companies whose current group status are classified as “Disassociated” in the FSC® list. For more information about the association disputes of FSC®, please refer to the Current status of Policy for Association disputes (FSC®).