Despite the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s efforts to make certified sustainable palm oil available, major buyers just weren’t biting.
Until now.
Last month Seventh Generation announced that it will use only 100 percent certified sustainable palm oil in its products by 2012. Palm oil is a key ingredient in Seventh Generation’s plant-based cleaning products, making the company one of the largest non-food buyers of palm oil.
Seventh Generation’s goal is twofold: to ensure that its palm oil is certified sustainable and traceable back to the source, and to help transform the palm oil industry. To meet this second goal, Seventh Generation has teamed up with the Rainforest Action Network to protect the world’s rainforests and the rights of the people who live in them. The two organizations have pledged to support strong forest provisions in the U.S. climate legislation and policy and the United Nations Climate Negotiations.
Seventh Generation also hopes to transform the palm oil industry by setting an example. The company will be transparent in its palm oil use and will publicly disclose its suppliers in hopes that other companies will follow suit.
by Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Editor-in-Chief
Natural Home magazine is a premier resource for sustainable home design and materials, earth-friendly décor and natural living.
