Orangutan Friendly Products
Loss of habitat is the greatest threat facing orangutans today with up to 80% of suitable rainforest home in Indonesia and Malaysia having been destroyed in the past 20 years.
There are two major drivers behind the deforestation – the palm oil and timber industries.
Here is a quick buyer’s guide on what products you should avoid along with clean conscience alternatives.
Palm Oil
Palm oil is found in many everyday products on the supermarket shelves including ice cream, chocolate, margarine, biscuits, chips, soaps, toothpastes, laundry powders and cosmetics. More recently it has found a new source of demand as a biofuel.
In foods it is often labelled vegetable oil or fat. In cosmetics it goes under a number of names including elaeis guineensis, sodium lauryl sulphate, cetyl alcohol and stearic acid.
To read more about palm oil, click here.
Is there such a thing as sustainable palm oil?
The answer is yes but it is unlikely to be in the products you are buying currently. The first independently audited certified sustainable palm oil was produced in November 2008. It comprises about 3-4% of total production but initial sales have been slow due to the price premium.
 Many manufacturers will point to membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as being proof of their use of sustainable palm oil. This is not the case with membership only requiring a commitment to “working towards” sustainable production.
Remember - there are usually alternatives to a product with palm oil.
To find a list of products in high risk categories which are palm oil free, click here.
Timber products
|