Joint press release from Protect the Forest, Greenpeace in Sweden, Skogsupproret (Sweden) and ROBIN WOOD (Germany)
Following Nestlé’s decision in November, e-commerce giant Zalando has also chosen to phase out packaging linked to the Swedish forestry company SCA. The decision comes after Zalando commissioned an independent investigation to review SCA’s forestry practices, as reported by Swedish newspaper DN.
Zalando, Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle, has now announced that within months it will cease purchasing packaging material that can be traced to the forestry company SCA. The decision was made after Zalando commissioned an independent consultant to investigate the forest conflicts in northern Sweden that have surrounded SCA the past years.
For years, there has been massive criticism against SCA:s forestry from Swedish environmental and indigenous organizations. Five organisations from Sweden, Denmark and Germany staged a protest at the end of January during Copenhagen Fashion Week, denouncing Zalando’s role in the destruction of Sweden’s natural forests. Shortly after, Zalando announced that they will phase out products originating from SCA.
This is the second major international player in a short period of time to choose to break with SCA. In November 2025, food giant Nestlé made a similar decision. The loss of yet another prestigious customer highlights growing concerns on the international market where companies are choosing to avoid Swedish forest products due to a lack of environmental consideration and social responsibility.
“Now is the time for SCA and other Swedish forestry companies to take the massive criticism seriously. Their false portrayal of Swedish forestry as world leading in sustainability has begun to crack”, says Daniel Rutschman, international campaign leader at Protect the Forest, Sweden.
The market acts where politics fail
Zalando buys paper products indirectly from SCA, via the packaging giant DS Smith, which is one of SCA’s major customers. By requiring its suppliers to exclude SCA from the production chain, Zalando is putting pressure on the entire supply chain.
“It is a partial victory that Zalando will stop sourcing materials from DS Smith and SCA! Now more companies should follow their example and put pressure on forestry companies that cut down forests with conservation values. At the same time, it is important for us to emphasise that change must not stop at this point. Saving our planet requires more effort. We call on Zalando to take ambitious steps towards more reusable packaging and to rethink the fast fashion trend in favour of product longevity,“ says Jana Ballenthien, forest campaigner of ROBIN WOOD.
The environmental movement will continue their work to inform international companies about the actual conditions in Swedish forestry.
“When Swedish politicians give the industry a free pass to continue with outdated and destructive forestry, market forces become the sharpest tool for change. This signals a shift in the market and we now expect that all companies that take their sustainability work seriously will follow Nestlé and Zalando and stop buying products from SCA”, says Karolina Carlsson, forest campaigner at Greenpeace in Sweden
Contact info:
Daniel Rutschman, international campaign leader, Protect the Forest Sweden. [email protected] +46(0) 76-112 88 26
Jana Ballenthien, Waldreferentin, ROBIN WOOD (Germany)
[email protected] +49 40 38089211
Karolina Carlsson, Forest campaigner, Greenpeace in Sweden
[email protected] +46 (0) 73-986 50 96
Read more:
Greenpeace Sweden, Protect the Forest Sweden & Robin Wood, Germany petition (2025): Stop the Swedish Forest SCAndal: https://forestscandal.org/
Greenpeace Nordic report (2024): Killed by Cardboard
Protect the Forest report (2024): SCA-files – 500 single mistakes
Greenpeace Nordic/Renskog report (2025): The battle for the reindeer forests (Kampen om renskogarna)
Press release from Protect the Forest, NOAH, ROBIN WOOD, Sáminourra and the Forest Rebellion, Wednesday 28 January 2026: “Funeral protest” during Copenhagen Fashion Week condemns Zalando’s role in forest destruction in Sweden
