Corporate Giants Abandon "Old-Growth" Forest Products
12/10/98
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Title: Corporate Giants Abandon "Old-Growth" Forest Products
Source: InterPress Service
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 12/10/98
WASHINGTON, (Dec. 9) IPS - More than 20 major U.S. companies have
announced they will no longer use or sell wood and paper products made
from "old growth" forests.
The corporations -- that include such well-known names as Nike, Hewlett-
Packard, Mitsubbishi Electric of America, an Kinko's -- have agreed to
conduct internal audits to phase out any product that originates from
these forests, where the trees are hundreds of years old.
"Over the next year we will audit our supply mills to ensure that, to
the best of our knowledge, our products are old growth-free," said Larry
Rogero, a spokesman for Kinko's, an office supplies retailer with 900
outlets across the country.
The agreement by the companies was negotiated by the Coastal Rainforest
Coalition, a network of environmental organizations in Canada and the
United States - including the Natural Resources Defense Council,
Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network.
"This is the most significant step made to date toward phasing out the
use of old growth wood products," said Michael Marx, executive director
of the coalition.
While specific company policies vary, the 27 corporations have pledged
that, in addition to phasing out purchases of old growth wood, they will
use more recycled products as well as paper fibers made out of
alternative "tree-free" sources -- like the kenaf plant.
Marx said the companies had been asked to seek out wood certified as
"environmentally friendly" by organizations like the Forest Stewardship
Council, which accredits auditors around the world to evaluate logging
operations.
"These companies are sending a powerful signal to the marketplace that
the future demand will not be for old growth products -- it will be for
recycled and tree-free fibers," said Marx.
Environmental groups originally formed the coalition several years ago
out of concerns over U.S. consumption of old growth forests products
from Canada.
"We began by focusing on old growth redwoods, but it became evident that
the problem is not any particular species but old growth in general,"
said Mark Westlund, communications director for the California-based
Rainforest Action Network. Only about 20 percent of the world's old-
growth forests are still standing, he added.
Nike Inc., the shoe manufacturer, said it has a new policy not to
purchase any materials -- including paperboard for its shoe boxes -
derived from pulp or wood from old growth forests.
"We feel it is the right thing to do for our environment and is in line
with our plans towards sustainable business practices overall," the
company said in a statement.
Several companies participating in the effort already had such policies
in place. Mitsubishi Electric of America and Mitsubishi Motor Sales, two
subsidiaries of the Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Corporation, have been
working with the Rainforest Action Network for several years to
undertake a complete environmental review of all of their business
activities.
Both companies announced earlier this year that they would phase out use
of tree-based paper and packaging products by the year 2002, in favor of
alternative fibers.
"Sure alternative fibers are more expensive, but as we make greater
technological advancements -- with the Internet for example -- we use
less paper," said John Savage, executive vice president of the
Mitsubishi Electric of America. "The economics of it eventually work
out."
Since 1990, the Levi Strauss company, the California-based clothing
giant, has been recycling its scrap cloth to make the company's paper
and stationary.
"It's part of our desire to be environmentally responsible," said
company spokesman Derek Bronkhorst.
Not all corporations jumped at the chance to improve their environmental
image. Home Depot Inc., one of the country's largest retailers of
hardwood products, did not join the other companies despite a nationwide
environmental campaign to pressure the store to stop dealing in lumber
from the Amazon and Southeast Asia.
Home Depot did not respond to an IPS request for comment, but in the
past the company declared that it was trying to limit the sale of old-
growth products.
"There have been some efforts by Home Depot, but they haven't bitten on
the bullet and put a policy in place," said Liz Barratt-Brown, senior
attorney with the New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council.
Groups said they remained hopeful that since the other corporations have
adopted environmentally friendly policies, Home Depot would do the same.
"The commitments made by these companies prove that corporate America
can be a force for saving the world's last ancient forests," said Marx.
"Their leadership should inspire other companies who are resisting going
old growth-free -- like Home Depot."