Barbie ends troubled relationship with DEFORESTATION

1. Barbie ends troubled relationship with DEFORESTATION 13th October 2011 Social Studies 10 – Current Events Assignment Constance Ang

2. What? • - Mattel has announced that it will stop using paper products from companies "that are known to be involved in deforestation.” • As the largest toy company in the world, they have released a global policy whereby its suppliers are instructed to avoid wood fiber from controversial sources. • The policy not only sends a message to other companies that “to be a responsible business you must be vigilant about keeping deforestation out of your products, but also aims to increase the amount of recycled paper used in their business.

3. Why? • Forensic tests show that packaging for Barbie dolls, as well as for toys sold by Disney, Hasbro and LEGO, contains Indonesian mixed tropical hardwood (MTH), a rain-forest-derived product. • Greenpeace launched a global campaign featuring Ken breaking up with Barbie against Mattel for its connection with paper packaging derived from Indonesian rainforests. • Protests: Activists repelled down the face of the headquarters of Mattel and hung the giant banner as seen in the picture, another was dressed as Barbie and drove a bright pink bulldozer half a block from the scene. - Mattel being very active in online marketing, with Barbie having 2.2 million followers on her Facebook page received over 500,000 emails from the public after the launch of Greenpeace’s campaign.

4. Why? “Barbie’s dirty secret is that her packaging is made from the rain forests of Indonesia,” said Rolf Skar, senior forest campaigner for Greenpeace USA. “Mattel has shown no due diligence. It buys paper without asking where it’s coming from.”

5. Thursday MORNING laugh.. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/asia-pacific/barbie/

6. Who? • Company in question for deforestation: Asia Pulp & Paper • One of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies notorious for destroying Indonesian rainforests, including the habitat of the endangered Sumatran tiger. • Has two APP pulp mills found on the island of Sumatra supplied printers making Mattel packaging in Indonesia and China, where the company manufactures many of its toys, including some sold under Disney’s label. • Non-governmental environmental organization with 2.8 million members and offices in 41 countries, has waged successful campaigns against multinational corporations such as McDonald’s, Kimberly Clark, McDonald’s, Nestle, Unilever and Burger King concerning links to deforestation in their supply chains. - World’s largest and most influential toy company (hence targeted by Greenpeace)

7. When? 7th June 2011 – Greenpeace Campaign launched. When Ken broke up with Barbie. 5th October 2011 – New global policy by Mattel with “sustainable sourcing principles” issued.

8. Where?

9. Where?

10. A penny for your thoughts. (not really). Q: Would you take part in such campaigns with such causes knowing you might get into trouble with the law? Q: How else do you think social media can be used to help solve the various environmental issues we are plagued with?

11. In a nutshell.. In conclusion I think the efforts made by Greenpeace are very worthy of recognition because its cause is honestly to save us and our world. Indonesia’s deforestation has made it the world’s third-largest source of man-made greenhouse gases after U.S. and China, making it a major contributor to global climate change. We should not be risking our home planet just for the sake of toys. Without a sustainable world to live in, what purpose would toys have at all? It is unfair to destroy the homes of all the animals in Indonesia’s rainforest; in the act we are also destroying our own home. It is predicted that nearly half of the remaining natural forest in Indonesia could be cut in the next two decades so I sincerely hope that more companies will stop any association with APP.