Environment group Greenpeace has launched a campaign against Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie dolls and other children's toys.
Greenpeace is accusing Mattel of packaging toys with paper sourced from Indonesian rainforests, which provide habitat to orang-utans and other endangered species. The green group says Mattel has been sourcing packaging from Asia Pulp and Paper – one of the targets of Greenpeace's campaign against rainforest destruction.
In response to widespread publicity, Mattel announced last month that it was developing a "sustainable procurement policy" for all of its product lines. The company said the policy would "address the important issue of deforestation" and include requirements for its packaging suppliers to commit to "sustainable forestry management practices".
Greenpeace is campaigning for all toy companies to switch to responsible suppliers.
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Having struggled at endless birthdays and christmases to remove the actual 'toy' from layers of plastic, wire and cardboard wrapping, it is high time toy manufacturers cut out all the waste and packaged toys more simply, in fully bio-degradable packaging that can be dealt with in an ordinary garden compost.. perhaps it will take us consumers complaining en mass to achieve the necessary change.
Looks promising for a start on this ridiculous practise!