You don’t need rainforests to build RVs.
Recreational vehicle manufacturers are destroying massive rainforests in Indonesia.
RV-makers are building vehicles with wood from companies that have destroyed vast swathes of endangered orangutan habitat. Almost every other industry that uses this type of wood has standards to ensure protections for wildlife and their forests. Companies like Winnebago, Thor, and Forest River and their supplier, Patrick Industries, haven’t even taken this basic step.
RVs are essentially meranti or lauan plywood boxes on wheels—wood that is being sourced from the rainforests of Borneo, Indonesia. The RV industry is the biggest consumer of tropical wood in the US, using an average of 500 trees every day. Over the last 60 years, Bornean orangutan populations have declined by more than 50% because their habitats are being destroyed.
In one area the RV industry sources from, Indigenous communities have gathered daily on the deforestation line until the bulldozers stopped destroying the rainforests where they have lived for generations.
The RV industry needs to join the 21st century and start sourcing their wood responsibly.
Act now
Before it's too late, it's time to protect our rainforests, uphold the rights of Indigenous communities, and save the incredible animals that live there. Tell RV CEOs: We demand that you only use deforestation-free wood in your supply chains and RV manufacture.
Sign the petition
RV owners don’t want to be complicit in the destruction of nature. RV lovers are seeking a getaway – to access America’s most beautiful places, not to be sold products that fuel the destruction of rainforests abroad.
We can do this the easy way. Shareholder resolutions succeeded in pushing Lowes and Home Depot to adopt sustainable wood sourcing policies. The RV industry can proactively adopt policies to fend off these resolutions, save face, and set an example of positive action for nature and climate that will resonate with customers. The RV industry can still thrive using either composite materials or Forest Stewardship Council certified wood in their vehicles.
For more information….
New York Times: The Rainforests Being Cleared to Build Your R.V. and What to Know About R.V.s and Deforested Wood
Mighty Earth’s Investigation: How American recreational vehicles came to destroy orangutan habitat in Indonesia
Earthsight’s Investigation: Unhappy Campers
