Professional guide

Paper as a problem

We take for granted that paper is part of almost everything we do, from printing out e-mails to our fancy bags the customer carries out their proud purchase. But have you considered that paper is a major problem and one you can easily address in your sustainable approach to fashion?

Companies like Tiffany & Co., the Gucci Group, H&M Group, Ferragamo, and Hugo Boss have cut ties with Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) and their parent company the Sinar Mas Group (SMG), arguably Indonesia’s leading rainforest destroyers. These fashion companies are adopting “leadership” procurement policies, cutting their paper consumption, eliminating fiber from endangered forests and committing to purchasing only recycled and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper in their shopping bags and all the other paper they use, from personalized stationery to copy paper.

The fibers used to make some of those thick and lovely status-symbol parcels may come from endangered rain forest trees

Indonesia's rainforests are some of the most biodiverse on the planet and they’re also vital for the climate. Tragically, they are being lost faster than any other forest on Earth. According to Rainforest Action Network, the fibers used to make some of those thick and lovely status-symbol parcels may come from endangered rain forest trees, or from biologically bankrupt plantations installed where the lush forest has been cut down.

This rapid deforestation is causing a massive release of the carbon formerly stored in trees and soils, making Indonesia the world's third largest greenhouse gas emitter. As forests are destroyed, unique ecosystems are also threatened, pushing species like orangutans to the brink of extinction. Many of the most reputable brands and fashion leaders in the U.S. and Europe are taking an important step to fight climate change and stop the destruction of Indonesia’s endangered tropical rainforests by changing where they buy the shopping bags and other paper products used in their offices and storefronts.