Greenpeace says Barbie helps destroy Indonesian forests

Jun 8, 2011, 8:41 GMT

Jakarta - Greenpeace said Wednesday that packaging for Barbie dolls is produced using timber from Indonesian rainforests and accused toy makers like Mattel of contributing to deforestation.

Testing and investigations revealed that Mattel, the makers of Barbie, and other toy companies including Disney are using packaging produced by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), the environmental group said.

APP is a unit of Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas, blamed by environmentalists for much of the country's deforestation.

Greenpeace activists, dressed as Barbie's boyfriend Ken, have scaled Mattel's Los Angeles headquarters with a giant banner which read: 'Barbie: It's Over. I Don't Date Girls That Are Into Deforestation.'

'Barbie is trashing rainforests and pushing critically endangered wildlife, like tigers, towards extinction,' said Bustar Maitar, head of Greenpeace's campaign to save Indonesia's forests.

'This is happening because Barbie's packaging comes from the rainforests of Indonesia, home to species like the Sumatran tiger.'

Indonesia has one of the fastest rates of forest destruction in the world. The government estimates that more than 1 million hectares of rainforests are being cleared every year, Greenpeace said.

Last month, the government issued a two-year moratorium on permits to clear forests but Greenpeace said the law would not protect 45 million hectares of natural forest and peatland.