When Greenpeace released a carefully researched expos How APP is Toying With Extinction in June, we exposed the ties between leading toy makers and rainforest destruction in Indonesia. Realizing parents don’t want to buy toys wrapped in rainforest destruction, toy companies have responded. Lego took action in July.
Last month, Barbie-maker Mattel did too. Now today, toy-giant Hasbro, makers of Transformers, G.I. Joe, My Little Pony, Monopoly and many other games and toys, has announced a new global policy for the paper it uses.
The new Hasbro policy means it will avoid buying paper for things like toy packaging and board games that comes from endangered forest destruction. That includes notorious forest-destroyer Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). Over time, Hasbro will also be increasing the recycled paper and Forest Stewardship Council certified sustainable fiber in its packaging.
With this latest toy-giant taking action , I think you could say we have transformed an industry. But, thats not the end of the story. Ultimately, this is not about toy robots and poniesits about making a difference for forests and the people and wildlife that depend on them. And that means making sure companies like APP get a clear message that deforestation is bad for business. In a market economy, supply and demand drives innovation and change. Companies give customers what they wantor risk their bottom lines.
We have seen many companies try to avoid green innovation pretending that they can ignore, make fun of, or somehow fight what they hope is simply a fad. But, thanks to people like you, weve been able to demonstrate, overwhelmingly, that support for rainforest protection is not a passing fashion. It’s here to stay. It’s growing. CEOs that don’t get thator, who refuse to innovate out of stubbornesswill watch their companies fall behind. You don’t have to take my word for it:
So, lets take a minute to celebrate this latest good news.
And, if you want to be part of the next good news story, take another moment to tell leading retailers not to wipe away rainforests with throw-away tissue products!
