What do you think about Fast Food Companies buying their paper packaging from Southern forests?

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It’s a shame that the 11 Fast Food Junkies are still at it-buying their paper packaging from Southern forests. I want to take a minute to talk about how important Southern forests are, and why we are working so hard to ensure their protection.

Southern forests contain:

• The highest concentration of tree species diversity in North America
• The highest concentration of aquatic species diversity in the continental US, including the richest temperate freshwater ecosystem in the world.
• The highest concentration of wetlands in the US, 75% of which are forested.
• The most biodiverse temperate forests in the world.

Biodiversity: According to the US Forest Service, nowhere in America is there a greater variety of native plant communities, native plant species or rare and endemic plants.

Climate Change: From 1990 – 2004, Southern Forests offset the emissions from nearly 2 million cars. Southern forests are a major carbon sink, and are much too important to be wasted for fast food packaging or biomass.

Unfortunately over 5 million acres of forests in the Southeast are clearcut every year-most of which to make paper and paper packaging! The South is the largest paper producing region in the world, and is the largest logging company in the world with a major presence in the South.

The 11 Fast Food Junkies are buying their paper packaging from , i.e. from Southern forests. Check out this video from a recent visit to the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Eco-Region, a global biodiversity hotspot, to see what is still happening to our forests in the Southeast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgfKcrT5GeQ

The 11 Fast Food Junkies can do better. Instead of buying virgin fiber from Southern forests, many which are endangered, they can:

1. Reduce the amount of paper packaging being used,

2. Increase the amount of post consumer fiber in your packaging, and

3. Ensure your paper does not come from endangered forests by making sure it is certified

by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

To send a message to the 11 Fast Food Junkies, including Yum! Brands (owner of Long John Silvers, Taco Bell, KFC, A&W and Pizza Hut), Wendy’s, Arby’s, Quiznos, Jack in the Box, and Bojangles, Click here.
http://dia.dogwoodalliance.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24343&t=nofreerefillsAction.dwt

To learn more about the Fast Food Packaging Campaign, No

Free Refills (for the forests), click here.

http://www.nofreerefills.org/the-facts