Pressure Campaign Targets RV Industry’s Use of Rainforest Deforestation Wood
Link to Mighty Earth Report: How American recreational vehicles came to destroy orangutan habitat in Indonesia
Campaigners are demanding environmental accountability from the Recreational Vehicle (RV) industry. It follows supply chain investigations which found that timber used in the RV industry in the U.S can be traced to deforestation that threatens the lives of people and critically endangered Bornean orangutans in Indonesia’s rainforests.
- Vast areas of carbon-rich peatland and orangutan habitat have been cleared to make plywood that was shipped abroad to the United States and likely made its way into RVs made by these companies.
- Indigenous groups and NGOs in Indonesia have worked tirelessly to raise awareness of deforestation and community rights violations.
Mike Oles, Indiana Director at Mighty Earth said:
“The RV industry was built upon the love of nature, not the destruction of it. Our investigation found that Big RV companies like Thor, Forest River, Winnebago, and Patrick Industries have yet to engage on this issue. So, we’re taking our campaign to their trade shows to make sure they hear the message that camper owners don’t want vehicles tied to deforestation and nature loss. The RV industry must do what major plywood retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s already do: Use Forest Stewardship Council-certified Wood.”
85% of the RVs in the United States are manufactured in Elkhart County. The industry has relied on this type of wood, commonly known as meranti, since the 1970s, according to industry insiders. With the meranti hidden from view, RV envelopes are typically made of thin sheets of meranti plywood with fiberglass on either side and padded with insulation. The ceilings and floors can also be made with meranti plywood and covered with other plywood layers or laminates.
Local campaigner Wendell Wiebe-Powell, said:
“I’ve raised my family in Elkhart. I’ve worked in RVs. I am proud that we make things here. But we need to make them right!”
Mighty Earth is asking the public, especially RV enthusiasts, to reach out to manufacturers to demand stronger wood sourcing policies and truly sustainable supply chains for producing RVs.
Ends
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Mike Oles, Indiana Director (based in Indiana)
317-281-0568
Notes to editors:
- Mighty Earth’s investigation: exposed the destruction of 100,000 acres of orangutan habitat and Indigenous Dayak Forest, fuelled by Winnebago and other RV companies. It’s Indonesia’s most extensive deforestation in years.
- Background from The New York Times’ Reporting: Indonesia has already lost 23 million hectares, or 20%, of its rainforest since 1990, at an immense cost to our climate, ecosystems and Indigenous peoples,” said Timer Manurung, chair of Indonesian NGO Auriga Nusantara. “The destruction must stop. Companies in the United States and worldwide must clean up their supply chains by excluding timber from deforestation, including from Indonesia.”
- Background from The New York Times’ Reporting: Now, conservation groups say, sustainably grown lauan is plentiful in Indonesia. But they say that R.V. makers are only focused on price and have no policies on sourcing sustainably grown lauan. This, they say, allows deforested timber to enter the industry’s supply chains. ‘It’s the R.V. industry’s dirty secret,’ said Amanda Hurowitz, a senior director at Mighty Earth, a global conservation group. Outfitting RVs with sustainably sourced lauan would have only a minimal impact on the vehicle’s price, according to Earthsight, an environmental research group based in Britain.” Link to Earthsight report.
About Mighty Earth
Mighty Earth is a global advocacy organization working to defend a living planet. Our goal is to protect Nature and secure a climate that allows life to flourish. We are obsessed with impact, and our team has achieved transformative change by persuading leading industries to dramatically reduce deforestation and climate pollution throughout their global supply chains in palm oil, rubber, cocoa, and animal feed, while improving livelihoods for Indigenous and local communities across the tropics.
