Business View Oceania | Volume 3, Issue 9

15 16 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 very costly exercise. Paper products are also very bulky in terms of comparative value; they are a high volume, low value product. So how we manage the transport and distribution of our goods, those logistics are incredibly important and play a big part in maintaining our competitiveness in the market. And the leaner and more efficient we are in that department, the less we contribute to emissions, pollution, etc. So that’s also big part of why we work the way we do.” Running an international operation under multiple brands does not come without challenges, however. Lee and Chai recall that, in the early days, public awareness about the importance of certification was concerningly low. Enviro Associated Products decided to step up and take responsibility for the education of their customers on topics such as what FSC certification was, why EAP decided to become certified, and the impacts that have followed, both for EAP and their customers. Today, FSC certification has become well-known, and can be found more commonly across the country. Lee says that the team at EAP was glad to see knowledge and adoption of the process increase. A huge project in the works at Enviro Associated Products is the aim to completely remove plastic from their supply chain ecosystem in the next five years. This includes single use plastics like packaging, packing protection, bindings, dividers, and so on. Chai shares that this is the biggest initiative from EAP, and it is part of their ‘sustainability beyond compliance’ outlook. “We want to be sustainable beyond compliance. This means that not only is our product legally certified, and not only are we following government initiatives in removing and reducing plastic; we are taking the lead and making decisions to move forward in these matters for reasons other than just meeting our legal requirements. We are encouraging others to do the same. You can already see the paper mills of some big brands in Europe moving in the right direction. So we plan to follow suit and get the ball rolling in our area, too.” EAP is also working on new products, including plant-based paper cups, which they hope to release to the commercial market next year. A small yet highly successful team, staff at Enviro Associated Products provide comprehensive, cost-effective, innovative, and sustainable paper product solutions for businesses and end- users across Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and Singapore. Senior representatives are confident in the company’s ability to deliver high-quality, customer-focussed products as the industry continues to evolve, and are excited to adapt to any and all challenges the future may bring. (65) 6355 0111 INTERCHAMP@INTERCHAMP.BIZ 1 SENOKO ROAD, #06-00, SINGAPORE 758134 Your worldwide distributor and supply chain partner for FMCG products to retailers, food service institutions and HORECA. We Assist You Your Global Market Expansion WWW.INTERCHAMP-GROUP.COM ENV I RO ASSOC I ATED PRODUCTS PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Interchamp Trading Pte Ltd sales@interchamp.biz www.interchamp-group.com