This telling Greenpeace report unveils the deforestation of old-growth forests in Sweden for throw-away cardboard packaging of e-commerce brands
Today, Greenpeace Sweden has unveiled the report ‘Killed by Cardboard: How old-growth forests in Sweden end up as boxes for global e-commerce’ that shows how the e-commerce industry is fueling the deforestation of century-old forests in Sweden with its endless demand for cardboard and paper packaging. Sweden’s old-growth forests are also home to Europe’s only recognised indigenous people, the Sámi people, who see their livelihoods of reindeer herding in jeopardy.
Through their investigation, Greenpeace was able to track logged timber from more than 60 logging sites that were visited to its destination at nine pulp mills, operated by six companies, including well-known names such as Smurfit Kappa, SCA and Billerud. After identiffying these companies, the report tracks who these companies supply packaging to – and whether these entities produce or sell everyday consumer goods. It shows that companies such as Amazon, eBay, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Mars, Nestlé, Samsung, Phillips, Lidl and others pack their products into paper from mills sourcing wood from old-growth forests.
This report proves that paper packaging doesn’t come from “well-managed forests” in Europe. It decimate ecosystems! Centuries-old European forests – central to Europe’s fight against the climate crisis – are being turned into throw-away packaging and sold across Europe.
It’s time to demand immediate action. We call on these companies to cease sourcing packaging materials from old-growth forests in Sweden, Finland, and elsewhere. The time for change is now.
We need to curb the unsustainable demand for throw-away packaging, which is devastating pristine forests not only in Sweden but around the world—from Sweden and Finland to Brazil, Chile, and Indonesia.
Read the full report here:
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/67018/nature-crime-files-sweden/