Opal
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JPN |
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Paper makers
Formerly Australian Paper. Makers of Reflex paper. Nippon Paper Group (Japan) purchased Australian Paper and its two operating mills at Maryvale in Victoria and Shoalhaven in NSW from PaperlinX in 2009. Manufactures pulp, paper and packaging. Export products to over 75 countries across the world.
Company Ownership
Paper Australia Pty Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
Nippon Paper Industries Co Ltd ![]() owns 100% of Paper Australia Pty Ltd |
JPN | website | ||||
Paper products A global network of 175 companies in Japan and 15 other countries. They are involved in paper, paper packs, chemicals, energy, agriculture, forest products and building materials, and cellulose nanofiber. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Paper Australia Pty Ltd | ||||
This company's business operations meet the requirements of the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, and have been certified carbon neutral since 2006.
Source: Climate Active (2020)
This company received a packaging performance level of 4 (Leading) in its 2023 APCO Annual Report. Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice).
Source: APCO (2023) |
Australian Paper, and it's flagship brand 'Reflex', is the focus of the 'Ethical Paper' campaign by the Wilderness Society. The production of woodchips for pulp and paper is the largest driver of forest destruction in Australia and Australian Paper, maker of Reflex, is the largest domestic purchaser of pulplogs from Victoria's native forests.
Source: Wilderness Society (2020) |
In August 2011, Australian Paper lost part of its FSC international environmental certification, after withdrawing from an audit of its wood supplies. It retains chain of custody certification, allowing it to produce FSC-certified product based on sourcing of material from FSC-certified operations and recycled content, as allowed under the FSC rules for Mixed and Recycled product.
Source: ABC (2011)
ENVI 'carbon neutral' brand copy paper has been criticised as Greenwash. "Accrediting a paper which is sourcing part of their pulp from the worlds most carbon dense forests raises questions about the integrity of the 'Greenhouse Friendly' program and what 'Carbon Neutral' really means."
Source: bindarri (2010)
Products produced at Australian Paper's Maryvale and Shoalhaven paper mills are certified as carbon neutral under the Australian Government-backed National Carbon Offset Standard.
Source: Australian Govt (2015)
This company holds Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification, and sells products certified as FSC Mix, FSC 100% and FSC Recycled.
Source: FSC (2023)
This company became a participant in the Australian chapter of the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) in 2008. The Global Forest and Trade Network seeks to mainstream the principles of responsible forest management and sustainable trade throughout the global forest products industry, by providing technical assistance and fostering linkages between committed companies. Independent forest certification is a key tool in this process. The GTFN program was discontinued in Australia in 2017.
Source: WWF (2019)
This company has sustainability claims on its website under the headings recycling, wood supply, sustainability performance and certifications.
Source: Australian Paper (2020)
According to data released by the Australian Tax Office in Jan 2022, this company was one of many local and foreign-based companies that paid no tax in Australia in 2019-20. Please note however that companies pay income tax on profits, not revenue (total income). While some companies use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, other companies that paid no tax have perfectly legitimate reasons.
Source: ATO (2022) |
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Nippon Paper Industries Co Ltd | ||||
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts towards removing commodity-driven deforestation and forest degradation from its direct operations and supply chains. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Forests Score of B.
Source: CDP (2022) |
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of D.
Source: CDP (2022) |
Nippon Paper was named in the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) report, 'The Truth Behind Tasmanian Forest Destruction and the Japanese Paper Industry: Who Logs Them? Who Buys Them?' (2007) as the biggest buyer of Gunns' old growth woodchips -- purchasing over 1,400,000 tons in 2006.
Source: RAN (2007)
The Friends of the Earth 'Kick Reflex' campaign ran in 2010, calling on the Maryvale Mill and parent company Nippon Paper to cease purchasing logs from high conservation value forests, water catchments and threatened species habitat.
Source: Indy Media (2010)
Nippon subsidiary South East Fibre Exports did own the chipmill at Eden, NSW. (It was sold to Allied Natural Wood Exports Pty Ltd on 23 December 2015). This chipmill uses mainly native forest trees, most cut down solely for woodchipping. It does not use waste. Nippon Paper was the focus of a campaign to stop wood-chipping the South East and East Gippsland forests.
Source: Chipstop campaign (2011)
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 45%.
Source: Forest 500 (2022)
In 2022, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of C.
Source: CDP (2022)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 51/100 in the Paper & Forest Products category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 23 Sep 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022) |
Company Details
Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
Revenue | 785.5 million AUD (2019) |
Employees | 1,220 (2019) |
Aus Manufacturing | Yes |
Contact Details
Address | Level 2, 109 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia |
Phone | 1300 006 725 |
Website | www.opalanz.com |
Products / Brands
Opal
Australian Printer Paper Brilliant Printer Paper Green Wrap Printer Paper Olympic Bookkeeping Olympic Printer Paper Olympic Notebooks & Pads Olympic Stationery Optix Printer Paper Planet Ark ![]() Queens Slipper Board Games & Puzzles Reflex Printer Paper |
Reflex Envelopes Reflex Stationery Reflex 100% Recycled ![]() Tudor Envelopes Tudor ![]() Tudor ![]() Tudor Clipboards & Folders Tudor Stationery Victory Printer Paper |