February 13, 2013

Third Largest Paper Company in the World Pledges to Protect Rainforest

This week, Asia Pulp & Paper announced plans to help protect rainforests throughout Southeast Asia.

The third largest paper company in the world, Asia Pulp & Paper has in the past relied on rainforest timbering to obtain 20 percent of its wood pulp. The company has a contract that permits it to remove trees from up to 6.4 million acres of rainforest in Indonesia, and up until this week, environmental activists feared that Asia Pulp & Paper would continuously deforest this rainforest land until there was little to no timber to be had.

Now, Asia Pulp & Paper has pledged to stop removing trees from the Indonesia rainforest. Putting their words into action, the company has already begun to withdraw excavators and other lumbering equipment from the rainforest.

When questioned about what prompted the decision, the firm's Director of Sustainability explained that it was the work of environmental activists, current customers and employees that inspired the company to make a change.

Here at Paperless Kitchen, we want to applaud the decision of Asia Pulp & Paper, and we encourage other companies that rely on wood pulp and timbers as raw materials to follow the organization's lead. We also find it inspiring that it was grassroots efforts and concerned stakeholders in Asia Pulp & Paper that ultimately led to greener policies.

If there's one thing we should all take away from this story, it's that our voices matter. When we contact companies, talk to our employers and get involved with organizations fighting for environmental causes, we make a difference. We hope our readers will continue to use their voices to work for a greener planet.