Thousands of trees are destroyed for palm oil every year; this is having a devastating effect on the already endangered orang utan. It is estimated that no less than 5,000 orang utans are killed every year. At this rate, complete extinction of one of our closest relatives would occur within 10 years. Palm oil is literally used in thousands of products we use everyday and is often la-belled as ’vegetable oil’ so it’s impossible to avoid. Log onto the Roundtable On Sustainable Palm Oil website to find out more and for a list of products made using sustainable palm oil.
Many supermarkets signed up to the Roundtable to show their commitment to sustainable palm oil although many haven’t made much of an effort to en-sure most of their products are used with sustainable palm oil. At the time of writing, Co-op and Waitrose own-brand products use sustainable palm oil although it’s worth checking the Ethical Consumer or WWF website for more up-to-date information.
It’s also worth checking out the Borneo Orang Utan Survival Foundation. This organisation has not only saved literally thousands of orphaned orang utans, they have also created habitat from forests that were completely destroyed and continue to promote permaculture as a way forward for those wanting to make a living from palm oil plantations.
36. Buy Products With The FSC Logo
Ensure all wood or paper based products you buy, have the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) logo, to ensure it has come from sustainable sources.