SUNDAY July 11, 2010

Hot Topic:

Keep it going against Sinar Mas?

Greenpeace is now urging Walmart to stop purchasing from the Sinar Mas paper unit Asia Pulp & Paper.  In a report titled:

“How Sinar Mas is Pulping the Planet” Greenpeace says that companies are contributing to the massive deforestation and habitat destruction of orangutans and Sumatran tigers by their relationship with Asia Palm & Paper Company.

Sinar Mas is an Asian company which owns businesses including palm plantations to pulp and paper mills to property and a bank.  This is the parent company of Asia Pulp & Paper.

Sinar Mas was found by the Eka Tjipta Widjaja, Indonesia’s 5th richest man, with an estimated wealth of $2.4 billion.

Nestle and Unilever have reported that they have already stopped purchasing from Sinar Mas because of the Greenpeace report on Sinar Mas causing Indonesian Rainforest destruction.

Wal-Mart has been in discussions with Greenpeace, company spokesman Kevin Gardner said in an e-mail. “Wal-Mart does not support deforestation, and as Greenpeace’s report shows, our largest markets do not source product from APP, and in the remaining markets that do, we have taken the steps to stop development on private-brand products with APP and are looking at what measures can be taken regarding branded products.”

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-07/greenpeace-asks-wal-mart-to-stop-sinar-mas-purchases.html