ForestEthics : Protect Forests and Our Climate : What are market campaigns?

American ExpressTheir credit card solicitations destroy forests and cause climate changeAmerican Express doesn’t even have a paper policy, continues to inundate our mailboxes with junk mail! We think they should stop using the slogan, "Don't leave home without it,” and adopt a more fitting one, such as, "Can’t leave your home without junk mail." Find out how we’re transforming the junk mail industry»
EnbridgePipe dreams Enbridge has two proposed pipeline projects that would expand the already devastating environmental footprint of Canada’s Tar Sands. Together, these pipelines would lock down our addiction to this dirty oil and chart the path for the Tar Sands to become the largest—and most destructive—industrial project in human history. Help us put the brakes on the world’s dirtiest oil! »
SearsThe founder of junk mailSears helped shape the paper industry by introducing the first ever catalog in the 1880’s. Still one of the largest catalog producers in the world, Sears is also the largest without responsible paper standards. Their catalogs have virtually no recycled content and use paper sourced from vital ecosystems and Endangered Forests, including the Canadian Boreal.Find out how we’re transforming the junk mail industry »
DellA Fortune 500 that cares about the environmentDell knows that it doesn’t take a high-tech engineer to see that companies need to have good paper policies to truly lead the way in business. Want your company to become an environmental leader?Learn more about our Market Solutions department »
Limited Brands/Victoria’s SecretTransformation through collaborationIn 2004, we launched the Victoria's Dirty Secret campaign, because we learned that Limited Brands, Inc. was sourcing the paper for it's brand-baby catalog from Endangered Forests. Two years, two full-page ads, several negotiations, and almost 1000 actions later, Limited Brands is a model for corporate environmental advocacy. Watch a video of this success story »
Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI)California’s largest forest-destroyerThey’ve destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres in the Sierra by using clearcut-style logging and and converting natural forests to tree plantations—and they have plans to use the same destructive practices on at least one million acres within the next fifty years.Learn more about our Save the Sierra campaign »
Capital OneTheir credit card solicitations destroy forests and cause climate changeCapital One has ignored our request to review their environmental policy repeatedly. Right now, we are working with activists across the US to pass Do Not Mail resolutions in their cities.Find out how you can help us transform the junk mail industry »
PatagoniaWalking their talkPatagonia has the highest post-consumer recycled content in the entire catalog sector—they truly live up to their outdoor-sy image and actively work to protect the environment. We are engaging with a variety of companies to help them move towards implementing policies like Patagonia already has. Want your company to become an environmental leader?Find out more about our Market Solutions department »

What are market campaigns?

Customers are often kept in the dark about the environmental impacts of the seemingly benign products they purchase, but behind every piece of merchandise is a story of how it came to market. For the past decade, we have been exposing the hidden links between products like paper, lumber and, dirty energy sources and the environmental devastation that often results from their production.

Just as the link between the Gap sweater and the Haitian sweatshop changed the garment industry forever, ForestEthics has been successfully exposing those kinds of links on a national and international stage, galvanizing the public’s desire to end destructive policies and using that marketplace power to effectively change corporate business practices.

The results have been remarkable—we have secured the protection of over 65 million acres of Endangered Forests and obtained environmental commitments from some of the largest corporations on the planet, including Staples, Dell, Victoria's Secret and Hewlett-Packard.
Learn more about our successes in transforming industries with these campaigns >>

Why are market campaigns so effective, particularly right now?

Regulatory agencies are often unable or unwilling to enforce environmental, health and labor law;
Economic globalization has given companies more power over local, state and federal laws. Corporations are able to influence governments (and therefore regulatory agencies) to enact better health, labor and environmental standards;
Consumers today are more discriminating on issues of quality, price and social and environmental impacts than ever before. Market campaigns have used heightened consumer awareness to win improved factory conditions abroad, dolphin-safe tuna, organic foods, certified wood and non-toxic products.

Market campaigns can trigger an industry-wide domino effect. Sparking this kind of a chain reaction allows campaigners to get leverage over entire industries and ensure that industry leaders aren’t punished for doing the right thing.
Learn more about our Market Solutions department >>