Orang-utans at the Wyevale garden furniture centre

(London, 25 April 2005) Greenpeace today welcomed an announcement by Wyevale - the UKs largest garden centre chain - that they will stop sourcing timber from trashed rainforests and cease selling garden furniture that is helping to finance the brutal military dictatorship in Burma.

In a statement issued by Wyevale, the garden centre retailer stated that they will stop buying garden furniture from 'all sources that are illegal or controversial, with a view to totally excluding all such timber' and 'ensuring that by 2008 all timber products are sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests or progressing towards being FSC certified by the Tropical Forest Trust.' (1)

Last month, Greenpeace exposed Wyevale for selling garden furniture sourced from the last remaining rainforests of South East Asia, home to the critically endangered orang-utan, and from one of the worlds most brutal military dictatorships in Burma. Timber is a key source of revenue for the Burmese regime.

The company was listed bottom of a league table of garden furniture retailers, which was compiled following a four-month investigation by Greenpeace. The investigation revealed that some of the UK's largest retailers, including Argos, continue to sell timber from the destruction of the world's last rainforests.

However, at the top of the league table are B&Q who, amongst other retailers, have taken positive steps to remove uncertified rainforest timber from their stores. These retailers sell garden furniture certified by the FSC - the only way consumers can buy garden furniture confident in the knowledge that it has come from environmentally and socially responsible sources.

Nathan Argent, Greenpeace forest campaigner, said: "It is great news that Wyevale has committed to stop selling garden furniture from trashed rainforests and they'll ensure that in future all timber products will come from legal and well-managed forests.

"However, other garden centre chains continue to sell timber pillaged from the worlds remaining ancient forests. The rest of this sector needs to take urgent action to follow Wyevales lead and ensure that all their garden furniture comes from FSC certified sources."


For more information or background pictures call the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255. To view the full league table visit click here.

Notes
(1) The full Wyevale statement said: 'Wyevale's policy is to ensure that all the timber in our products comes from forests independently certified as well managed, according to the standards set out by the Forest Stewardship Council. Wyevale will actively seek to source FSC certified timber products for our business.

Wyevale acknowledge the environmental and social issues connected with the sourcing of tropical hardwoods and as a result have become members of the Tropical Forest Trust.'

Key aspects of Wyevale Garden Centres' timber sourcing policy are:

• Working towards full transparency of all forest sources used by Wyevale.
• commitment to sourcing timber only from well managed, legal and non-controversial sources, which carry recognised and acceptable certifications.
• A clear goal of aiming to ensure that all timber products sold by Wyevale are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified or progressing towards being FSC certified through the Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) by 2008.
• Reporting annually on progress towards achieving set goals.

Orang-utan, under threat from illegal logging in Indonesia

Asda, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis' garden furniture pushing orang-utans towards extinction

GARDEN FURNITURE SOLD by Asda, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis is made from trashed rainforest timber and is responsible for pushing endangered animals such as the orang-utan further towards extinction, according to Greenpeace today (29 May 2004).

The three companies are the worst offending High Street stores selling rainforest-wrecking garden furniture, and have come bottom of a league table released by Greenpeace this Bank Holiday weekend on where to buy garden furniture. The well-known retailers are using timber that comes from the last remaining rainforests of south-east Asia to make outdoor goods such as tables, chairs and benches.

Much of the timber comes from Indonesia where nearly 90 percent of all timber is illegally logged. The country has the longest list of endangered species in the world, including the Sumatran tiger and the orang-utan.

Much of the timber used for garden furniture in the UK comes from the world's ancient forests. These forests support around 90 percent of the world's land-based species and millions of forest-dwelling people. Yet every two seconds, an area of ancient forest the size of a football pitch is destroyed.

Some retailers have proven that it is possible to use environmentally friendly timber that doesn't endanger rare animals. B&Q, Woolworths and Robert Dyas sell garden furniture made of wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as being logged from environmentally friendly sources.

Nathan Argent, Greenpeace Forests Campaigner, said: "If you're buying outdoor furniture from Marks and Spencer or Asda to lounge around in the garden, you're contributing to trashed forests and the extinction of the orang-utan.

"There are readily available alternatives that don't harm the environment or contribute to wiping out rare animals, yet irresponsible stores like Asda and Marks and Spencer continue to buy timber from destroyed rainforests. These companies should all be buying FSC certified timber, which is guaranteed to be environmentally friendly."

Further information
Contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Notes:
The league table of garden furniture retailers shows those companies who were able to offer products that had come from FSC certified sources. FSC certification ensures that timber products come from socially and environmentally responsible forest management.

Those companies at the bottom - Asda, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis - are all purchasing rainforest timber and do not offer products that have been credibly certified as legal and environmentally friendly.

Asda claim to be sourcing Red balau from plantations in Vietnam for their garden furniture. There are no Red balau plantations and the tree species is not available from Vietnam. Red balau is found in the last rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Marks and Spencer source Nyatoh, which is found in Indonesia's last rainforests, and were not able to verify that it has been sourced legally.

John Lewis are sourcing Teak and Melapi which is found in Indonesia' last remaining forests.

The league table is, from best at the top to worst at the bottom:

1. B&Q
2. Woolworths
3. Robert Dyas
4. Focus Wickes
5. Homebase
6= Argos
6= Habitat
6= Wyevales
6= Tesco
10. Harrods
11. John Lewis
12. Asda
13. Marks and Spencer