International Paper extends its environment commitment : Organizes sapling plantation – GREEN WAVE

Nov. 21, 2012 - PRLog -- Hyderabad/Rajahmundry, India – November 19, 2012: International Paper, through its group company – The Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills, today initiated a sapling plantation drive under the title ‘Green Wave’ at Rajahmundry. The first step towards improving the green cover in Rajahmundry started with school children planting saplings of Peltophorum on both sides of the road from The Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills facility up to Katheru village.

The plantation drive is an extension of International Paper’s endeavor to augment the green cover and contribute to eco conservation. The activity aimed to enhance the knowledge of the children by explaining the importance of preserving the environment and planting more trees to reduce the impact of global warming. The children also learned about the importance of trees as a renewable resource for producing paper and packaging products that are part of our everyday lives. The event was attended by Mr.U. Arun Kumar, Honorable Member of Parliament,  Mr. R. Suryaprakash Rao, MLA, Mr. M. Jitendra, Commissioner, Mr. S. Abraham, Deputy Educational Officer, Mr. G. Samarpana Kumar, Member of Indian National Congress, Mr. BSN Murthy, CEO - Echo Plants, Mr. D. Venkata Rao, Local Leader, leaders of  other bodies, union leaders and senior staff.

On the occasion Ms. Seema Nallani, General Manager CSR – International Paper commented, "Environmental conservation and education is an operating philosophy for us. With this initiative we aim to create awareness about the importance of trees amongst the children and reiterate our commitment to the communities we operate in.”

At International Paper, sustainability has been a foundation of the company for more than 110 years. Close to 80 percent of the trees serving the Indian pulp and paper market are sourced by individual tree farmers who own just a few acres of land. By providing seedlings, International Paper is introducing trees to a fiber-short market, creating local employment opportunities and generating much needed incremental income for landowners. To date, more than 1 billion seedlings have been planted by more than 40,000 tree farmers in India.