Greenpeace puts pressure on P&G over palm oil sourcing strategy

The environmental group says that P&G is sourcing palm oil from companies that have proven links to the destruction of rainforests that is destroying the eco system and the home of the endangered orangutan.

Greenpeace International is making its claims based on a year-long study it carried out, revealing that current sourcing policies of a number of personal care companies exposes its supply chain to forest fires and habitat destruction that is pushing a number of animals to the edge of extinction.

Palm oil is a major ingredient for the personal are industry​

The palm oil that these companies are sourcingcare ingredients is used in a number of household and personal that P&G currently manufactures worldwide.

According to Greenpeace, other personal care giants, including L’Oréal and Unilever have made concerted efforts to improve their palm oil sourcing, and example that P&G should be following.

“The maker of Head & Shoulders needs to stop bringing rainforest destruction into our showers. It must clean up its act and guarantee its customers that these products are forest-friendly,”​ said Bustar Maitar, head of the Indonesian forest campaign at Greenpeace International.

P&G continues to rely on palm oil linked to eco destruction​

Greenpeace says that the study it conducted showed that P&G was relying on palm oil that was sourced from land owned by BW Plantation Group, which owns plantation linked to the deaths of orangutans next to the Tanjung Putting National Park.

However, according to Greenpeace, P&G has taken little or no action to resolve this situation, despite continuing pressure during the course of the last 8 months.

“We’ve been confronting P&G over the last eight months with how it’s exposing consumers to forest destruction. Instead of taking urgent action, the company has been greenwashing its actions,”​ said Areeba Hamid, forest campaigner at Greenpeace International.

Unilever and L'Oreal make the committment​

Last year, L’Oréal made a commitment to zero deforestation in its supply chain by 2020 and the company has also said it aims to use 100% certified board and paper for its packaging and only source sustainable palm and soya oil within the same time-frame.

Unilever has also implemented a similar policy to remove deforestation from its supply chain by 2020.

Greenpeace applauded the decision by L’Oréal and Unilever to remove forest destruction from their supply chain, but also said that the pressure would be maintained to ensure that both it and Unilever would met its objectives.

“While L'Oreal' and Unilever's No Deforestation commitments send a strong signal to the sector, they still allow their suppliers six more years to clear forests,”​ said Bustar Maitar, head of the Indonesia Forest Campaign at Greenpeace International.

“With global warming and rapid biodiversity loss, we urge these companies to guarantee consumers that their products will be free from forest destruction before their 2020 deadline.”​