CAMPUS BOYCOTT OF KLEENEX TO STOP CLEARFELL LOGGING OF NATIVE
FORESTS
BACKGROUND
Last year members of the Otway Ranges Environment Network (OREN)
presented a workshop at S & S about the clearfell logging of Otway
Native Forest to supply pulpwood for Kleenex tissue products.
The workshop focused on the need for university campuses to change
from products made by Kimberly Clark Australia (Kleenex) to tissue
paper products made from 100% post consumer waste paper.
As a result, Latrobe University, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
(RMIT), Deakin University and Woolongong University have ceased
purchasing or are well on the way to not buying Kleenex products.
These campuses combined use over $250,000 per annum of tissue paper
products.
UPDATE
Due to community pressure, Kimberly Clark Australia (KCA) is believed
to be stopping sourcing woodchips from the Otways after the 1998/1999
logging season. This summer, Kimberly Clark will take 24,000 tonnes
of woodchips from the Otways.
Kimberly Clark responded argessively to lost University contracts.
Some of the contracts contested where worth over $60,000. In an
attempt to preserve existing contracts, Kimberly Clark was known
to fly sales people down from Sydney the same day in response to
phone calls from campus purchasing officers.
We know our campaign has made KCA very upset. However KCA will be
waiting for the campaign to tire and lose enthusiasm.
CHANGING TO 100% RECYCLED TISSUE PAPER
We need more campuses to join the fight to stop forest woodchipping.
It can take up to 6 months of lobbying to change a campus over.
Sometimes it can take only a few months.
The following procedure may be of assistance.
1. Find out the brand of toilet paper, facial tissue and hand towel
your campus uses. Take note of the dispensers used.
2. Determine who on campus purchases the tissue paper products
and approach them with the issue.
3. Find out if there is an existing purchasing policy. Check to
see if the purchasing policy promotes a buy recycled first.
4. If the purchasing policy does not exist or does not have a buy
recycled first requirement, try to create a purchasing policy that
does so. This stops KCA later coming back and offering products
that are not made from recycled paper.
5. Once changed over, there is a need to monitor the situation to
see if any problems arise. Continue consultation with the purchasing
officer is important.
When arguing about the need to use 100% recycled paper remember
the following points.
1. 100% recycled tissue paper products are readily available and
made by a number of Australian owned Companies. These companies
include
Cosco Pty Ltd (Manufacture of Softex)
Paper Converting Co. (Manufacturer of SAFE)
Ausstissue (Manufacturer of Ocean Soft)
KCA and Carter Holt Harvey have foreign ownership
2. 100% recycled tissue paper are price competative. KCA will have
to drop price significantly to undercut.
3. 100% recycled toilet paper products can fit most dispenser types.
They come in a variety of sheet lengths. They are avaliable in one
or two ply.
4. Clearfell logging destroys biodiverse forests, killing wildlife,
some of it endangered (Otway Tiger Quoll) and effects domestic drinking
water catchments.(Geelong and Melbourne Water Supply)
5. Using 100% recycled products promote the kerb side collection
of office waste paper. Currently there is an over supply of waste
paper. We need market development of products made from 100% recycled
paper to use up the over supply of waste paper.
6. Recycling of aluminium cans and glass bottles is already occuring
on most campuses. Campuses also have paper collections. Buying 100%
recycled products should also be a priority.
DIRECT ACTION
Hand out information, talk to your local supermarket, tell friends
and family. It all helps because people are not aware and do not
think about where tissue paper comes from.
In the Otway this summer there is a planned direct action against
Clearfell Logging. Come and help.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Please Contact
Simon Birrell, OREN Consumer Awarness
Mobile : 0419315366
e-mail : mrtree@oren.org.au
Paul Brown Vic NUS officer on 0417 571 062
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