“You mean even though their web site is the color green, they are still bad guys?”
Covering up destruction with shiny ads is dishonest and we believe it may even be unlawful. The law protects bars advertisers from “deceptive business practices” and that’s why we are urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate a recent marketing campaign from notorious rainforest destroyers Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).
Buyer Beware: This company, APP is not only responsible for more forest loss in Sumatra than any other company, but APP is also a leader in greenwashing. APP has created a dishonest vision of their environmental record and use this false image as a selling point to their customers. We think their ads count as false advertising and today we filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission urging an investigation and penalties.
One of APP’s most offensive ads was this past fall’s “APP Cares”. In this ad, APP boasts about a token donation it made for a tiger conservation project and practically takes credit for the entire scheme. Charity is all well and good, but if APP really cared about the tiger, it wouldn’t be actively driving it towards extinction in the wild. APP’s subsidaries and sister companies are clearing the remaining habitat of the Sumatran Tiger (93% of their habitat is already gone). APP subsidiaries like PT. Artelindo Wiratama and PT. Tebo Multiagro Corporation are actively clearing the remaining tiger habitat of the Critically Endangered Sumatran Tiger.
These false claims fool unsuspecting buyers into sponsoring the destruction of the slivers of habitat that the Sumatran Tiger has left.
You too can help us hold APP and other greenwashing companies accountable for their dangerous lies. Send your request to the FTC here.
