Archived press release

Nightmare noel for rudolph

22 December 1997

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer faces a grim Christmas, Friends of the Earth warned today, because of the destruction of the old, natural forests where reindeer live in winter.But the British public could help save Rudolph and his reindeer chums, by buying recycled Christmas cards and wrapping paper, and re-using and recycling the cards and paper they receive.

In winter, reindeer in the frozen north of Lapland 1 eat the hanging lichen that grows only on old trees. But the old forests are being cut down by loggers to supply timber and paper for the UK and other countries. The old forests are replaced with cultivated forest, where the trees are cut down before they are old enough for hanging lichen to grow on them.

Over 95% of Finland and Sweden's old-growth forests have already been lost, but the remaining fragments are still being logged. The traditional way of life of the Lapp (Saami)people 2, who keep the reindeer, is also threatened, along with hundreds of rare animal and plant species 3.

Friends of the Earth is calling on the Finnish Government and the Finnish timber industry to save the last remaining old forests - campaigners will deliver a petition signed by UK children to the Finnish Ambassador.

The UK is the fifth highest user of paper in the world 4, with huge amounts being used at Christmas. Friends of the Earth has calculated that Christmas cards and Christmas wrapping paper use the equivalent of approximately a quarter of a million trees 5.

Dr Georgina Green of Friends of the Earth said:

“The governments of Finland and Sweden must protect their last fragments of old,natural forest, so that the indigenous Laplanders can continue to feed Rudolph and his reindeer friends in the winters to come. Everyone can help reduce the need for more forests to be cut down by by buying 'recycled', and re-using and recycling Christmas cards, envelopes and wrapping paper.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] Lapland is the area in the north of Scandinavia, now divided between Finland,Sweden, Norway and the northwestern-most part of Russia.

[2] The Saami people are the indigenous people of Lapland, of whom a considerable proportion still live in the traditional way: herding reindeer, hunting, fishing, and collecting products such as berries from the forest. The traditional way of life is threatened by modern forestry and other land use and the lack of recognition of their rights to the land. There are approximately 70-100,000 Saami people.

[3] Over 1,700 forest-dependent plants and animals are listed as threatened in Sweden;over 700 in Finland, and almost 900 in Norway.

[4] The UK used 11.3 million tonnes of paper in 1995; paper use in the UK is predicted to grow by 63% on 1990 levels by 2010. Over a third of our paper and almost 40%of our timber comes from Sweden and Finland.

[5] The Post Office estimates 1.7 billion Christmas cards were given or sent in 1996,and that an average card weighs approximately 20g. It takes approximately six mature trees to make a tonne of paper. Of 7 stores surveyed by Friends of the Earth, WH Smiths, Tesco's, Sainsbury's, Boots, Marks and Spencers & Woolworths did not stock any recycled cards. John Menzies were unclear, but admitted that any recycled cards would be only a tiny fraction of their stock.

In 1995, 11,068 tonnes of wrapping paper was sold in the UK (National Statistics Office). Friends of the Earth estimates that 75% of this is used at Christmas. Of seven high street chains visited at Christmas 1996, (WH Smiths, Woolworths, Boots,Tesco, J. Sainsbury, J. Menzies, Marks and Spencer), only one (Marks and Spencers) stocked any recycled wrapping paper.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust