Dec. 4th: International Paper Campaign Action Against Sears: Milwaukee

Hoam Rowe, 04.12.2007 22:03

Concerned citizens paid a visit to Sears-Brookfield to protest the company's destructive catalog policies in solidarity with the Paper Campaign's International Day of Action.

Sears-Brookfield Manager Michael

Certificate and sock full of coal delivered

Boreal Forest: before Sears

After Sears...

Braving treacherous road conditions due to a modest snowfall, concerned citizens in the Milwaukee area paid an evening visit to Sears-Brookfield. The group's mission was to protest Sears' destructive catalog policies in solidarity with the Paper Campaign's International Day of Action.

In a matter of minutes, the sales floor of Sears-Brookfield was enhanced by hundreds of fliers containing a timely message about the destruction of the Boreal forest because of Sears' poor paper-sourcing policies.

Additionally, a sock full of coal and a certificate in recognition of Sears' contempt for the Boreal was delivered to Michael, the manager on duty. After a brief explanation by the group about the importance of changing their catalog policies, Michael assured them that their message would be delivered to the corporate offices. Skeptical but emboldened, the group left of their own accord; content in knowing that the stakes will be raised until Sears' policy meets the demands listed below.

Sears is best known for being the original catalog producer—but what they're currently producing is a lot of forest destruction. Sears sends out an estimated 425 million catalogs a year, including 270 million Lands’ End catalogs—using enough catalog paper to completely wrap the Sears Tower 6 times a day, every day. These catalogs are printed on paper with almost no post-consumer recycled content, and the company refuses to make real commitments to protect Endangered Forests like Canada’s Boreal Forest that are cut down to supply that paper.

Instead of contributing to forest destruction, Sears/Lands’ End could join the ranks of other environmentally responsible catalog companies like Victoria’s Secret and Williams-Sonoma that have implemented strong environmental policies and are taking leadership roles in environmentally friendly catalog initiatives. To reduce their impact on Endangered Forests, Sears/Lands’ End must:

* Stop purchasing paper that comes from Endangered Forests;
* Stop sourcing from off-limit caribou range;
* Maximize the post-consumer recycled paper in catalogs and junk mail;
* Ensure that all remaining virgin fiber has Forest Stewardship
Council certification;
* Implement strategies to reduce paper use overall.

If you'd like to work on an international campaign that has achieved repeated successes, the Milwaukee chapter of Catalog Cutown/Paper Campaign would love to hear from people of any experience level. Get in touch at:  mkepapercampaign@gmail.com

e-mail:: mkepapercampaign@gmail.com
Homepage:: http://catalogcutdown.org/