You have helped us achieve something amazing and I can’t thank you enough. Thanks to you, we have shown a global spotlight on Mattel and exposed Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) for destroying tiger forests. As a result, the toy industry is starting to clean up their act.
There’s no doubt they know you are watching.
Since our campaign kicked off last month, the response has been amazing. More than 60,000 of you sent letters to Mattel urging them to drop APP and adopt policies to protect forests. But Mattel isn’t the only toy company we are holding accountable. In our recent Toying With Extinction report, we showed that Hasbro, Disney and Lego were wrapping toys in rainforest destruction.
I’m happy to say we have our first victory!
Just last week, Lego became the first toy giant to stand up for Indonesian forests. This is big news, and sign that our efforts are working. Lego announced a plan to end business with companies linked to deforestation, reduce its packaging, maximize recycled paper content, and source only certified sustainable wood for any virgin tree fiber it uses. That’s great news for rainforests and the people and wildlife that depend on them.
As for Mattel, they have said publicly they will drop APP and make a new policy to protect forests. But for forests, actions are more important than words. Greenpeace is keeping the pressure on Mattel — the world’s largest toy company — until they back up their statements with real changes.
You might wonder, do toy companies really matter? The answer is: absolutely. Mattel claims to sell three Barbie dolls every second. That’s just one of their toys. And Mattel is just one of the toy companies we’re changing. Add them all up, and the toy industry uses a lot of paper.
Through our high-profile, global campaign, we are sending a clear message to companies around the world that rainforest destruction is bad for business. We couldn’t do that without you.
Our work isn’t done yet, and its critical that we keep up the pressure. I’ll update you as we achieve more together. But for now, it’s also important for us to pause, celebrate our latest victory, and say thanks.
For the forests,
Rolf Skar, Senior Forest Campaigner
Greenpeace
P.S. Our dedicated staff around the world — including those on the ground in Indonesia — are fighting hard to save critically endangered Sumatran tigers. With your help, we can bring them back from the brink of extinction. If you haven’t already please make a donation to Greenpeace today.
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