Tong Tana - Bruno Manser Fonds

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Like many shops the large distributors ABM, JUMBO and Loeb sell picture and mirror frames made to measure. The salesperson from Loeb/ BE even assured us there was no tropical wood involved. The fact is, however, that over 50% of these products are made of African and Asian timber… The furniture shop Conforama in Geneva (“Where life is less expensive”) conceals its tropical wood under the label “walnut brown hue”; further indications are missing completely. Under the indication “beech decor”, “maple decor” etc., shops such as Conforama, Migros and Möbel-Pfister sell the worst junk. This consists of pollutant and energy-intensive plywood covered by a plastic wood imitation. The products are often imported from Denmark, fall apart after moving house once and become hazardous waste after that. Sweeping in front of your own door – with the right broom! Whereas the department store Loeb in Berne conscientiously declares the floor mop as beech-wood, origin Switzerland, every indication is missing on the handle: it is made of Ramin wood from the exploitation of Borneo’s rainforest. Möbel-Pfister, who already promised in 1992 to completely renounce tropical wood, sell various closets containing tropical wood, as does the closet “Laura” shown here (SF 2670.–). The declaration “ash-wood light, natural veneer” of Möbel-Pfister is not a real declaration, the details of the inner door (Ramin, Malaysia) and the backside (Okumé, Cameroon) are missing, as are the countries of origin. 12
JUMBO, the “heavyweight” with the largest turnover on the Swiss market for building and hobby products, simply does not declare anything! JUMBO had promised to declare all products according to species and origin by 1995. Jumbo-Markt AG then wrote us on Aug.4, 1994, “Together with our suppliers we have agreed upon putting a label with the declaration of the origin on the product in the retail shops. In this way we enable the consumer to participate in the protection of the environment independently and with personal responsibility. [...] To date 7 shops have declarations. The remainder are being prepared and will be revised by about the end of March, 1996.” This promise has not been kept, as opposed to MIGROS and Coop. In its branches in Dietlikon, Fribourg and Pratteln JUMBO misleadingly declares these wall panels made of Lauan wood from Indonesia as pinewood from Germany! The land of origin of these Ramin border strips from the exploitation of Borneo’s virgin rainforests was given as Europe. Almost all laminated or painted border strips are not declared at all. These are also made of Ramin wood from Borneo. Whereas all “Decoline”-curtain poles made of Ramin wood are not declared, the same supplier conscientiously declares a product when it is made of pinewood. Anyhow, the country of origin is missing in both cases. Is this a conscious deception of the customers! Picture frame: Behind such misleading labels as “walnut style” or “sorbet pistachio” JUMBO hides tropical wood! JUMBO’s Garden-furniture “Camping 1999” made of “hardwood” is made of timber coming from the plundering of the last remaining primary forests in Sarawak/Malaysia ... 13
Page 1 and 2: Tong Tana September 1999 Journal of
Page 3 and 4: Sarawak (Malaysia) Message from Pen
Page 5 and 6: Forestry in Sarawak Professor em. E
Page 7 and 8: tan beckon. Some glow like flaming
Page 9 and 10: Speaking of wood: Amazon Ban on tim
Page 11: Switzerland: Why a mandatory declar
Page 15 and 16: The import of tropical wood db - A

Tong Tana - Bruno Manser Fonds

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?