Sears/Lands’ End Newest Focus Of Environmental Campaign That Is Transforming The Catalog Industry

Chicago, IL ~ ForestEthics, and its network of environmental activists and consumer advocates from across North America, put the Board of Directors of Sears Holding Corporation on notice today with in-person visits announcing the launch of a new campaign challenging Sears/Lands’ End to clean up its catalog practices.

Sears/Lands’ End introduced the first ever catalog dating back to the company’s beginnings in the 1880s. Today, it is the largest catalog company without responsible paper standards, mailing out more than 425 million catalogs a year that contain almost no recycled content, and using paper sourced from vital ecosystems and endangered forests, including Canada’s Boreal Forest

“Sears/Lands’ End was once an innovative American icon – the problem is when it comes to the environment, they are stuck in the past instead of leading the way into a greener 21st century,” said Ginger Cassady, Senior Paper Campaigner for ForestEthics, who has been in ongoing meetings and negotiations with the company over its environmental practices. "In an era of increasing competition and growing concern about corporate responsibility, companies must demonstrate their values and protect their brand by implementing better environmental policies.”

ForestEthics is calling on Sears Holding Corporation to develop and implement a procurement policy that:  stops the use of fiber from endangered forests such as caribou habitat in the Canadian Boreal, ensures virgin fiber used comes from Forest Stewardship Council-certified operations, maximizes post consumer recycled fiber and reduces paper consumption and the carbon footprint of the company’s paper use.

The Canadian Boreal, which is being logged at a rate of two acres a minute, 24 hours a day, much of it for paper used in catalogs and junk mail, is a critical line of defense against global warming. The forest holds more accessible freshwater than anywhere else on the planet, and plays an essential role in cleaning the air. It is home to species like wolves, bears, wolverine, threatened woodland caribou, and half of North America's songbirds. The hundreds of First Nation communities that live in the Boreal depend on the land for hunting, fishing, economic development and cultural activities.

ForestEthics’ vision for sustainable business practices is already reality across the catalog sector. A series of successful campaigns by ForestEthics and its network resulted in the implementation of environmentally friendly catalog practices by companies including Williams-Sonoma, Dell and Victoria’s Secret. The Victoria’s Dirty Secret Campaign, launched in October 2004 and marked by creative ads, web-based advocacy and a colorful and sustained presence at retail outlets across the US, achieved a successful end in December 2006 when Victoria’s Secret announced a landmark new environmental policy.   

ForestEthics, a nonprofit with staff in Canada, the United States and Chile, recognizes that individual people can be mobilized to create positive environmental change—and so can corporations. Armed with this unique philosophy, ForestEthics has protected more than seven million acres of Endangered Forests. Visit www.ForestEthics.org or www.catalogcutdown.org for more information.