In the Media
WWF report links Sumatra deforestation to toilet paper
February 09, 2012
Earth Times
Eco-friendly companies and individuals are going to be shocked once more at the habitat destruction wreaked on rainforests by their toilet paper, paper towels and tissue. The huge island of Sumatra has just about the greatest loss of forest of any area in the world.
Everybody wants a piece of it, including elephants, orang-utans, rhino and the approximate 280 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. It has now been disclosed in a WWF report that APP’s fiber, used by 8 large retailers (BI-LO, Brookshire Grocery Company, Delhaize Group (owner of Food Lion chain), Harris Teeter, Kmart, Kroger, SUPERVALU, and Weis Markets) is to be discontinued because of this link. (APP is Asia Pulp and Paper, subsidiary to the giant Chinese Sinar Mas Group.)
APP is among several affiliates who are alleged to have destroyed 5 million acres of rainforest in Sumatra since 1984, distributing and expanding its paper products through many US paper companies. One major example is the non-home products, Paseo (the fastest growing toilet-paper sale in the US and especially in California) and Livi, which you find in hotels, restaurants, schools and offices. Many companies have not responded to appeals and are listed on the WWF site.
Certainly, more than 50% of American consumers applaud sustainability, while the rest of the world are more eco-friendly, or less, depending largely of development. This is a chance to kick back at organisations who really don’t listen to the simple lessons taught our children and our ancestors. “Save the Planet, because it has certainly saved us.”
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Keywords: APP, Asia, deforestation, Indonesia, Sumatra