Re-Source: Market Alternatives to Ancient Forest Destruction

According to Greenpeace, 80% of the world’s ancient forests have been destroyed, and nearly half of what remains is under threat, mostly from logging to satisfy the global demand for paper and timber. But Greenpeace also claims that this logging is unnecessary: Replacements already exist for virtually every application of wood from ancient forests — from building construction to product packaging.

Greenpeace has written this guide to help corporate consumers choose environmentally responsible purchasing. For basic information, read the introduction to ancient-forest destruction and the overview of old-growth-free product alternatives. Specific product information is available in a section on timber, which discusses building without ancient-forest timber, wood-processing technologies, FSC-certified wood, and more. Information on office paper, printing paper, and tree-free papers is also provided. The report includes case studies of companies that produce environmentally preferable products.