You may have seen new billboards around Michiana that read, “RVs SHOULDN’T KILL ORANGUTANS.” The billboards have been purchased by an environmental group who wants area RV makers to change where they get their wood.
In August the New York Times published an investigative report headlined, “The rainforests being cleared to build your RV.” It documented how most RV makers are sourcing a thin yet strong type of wood called meranti, also known as luan, from the rainforests of the Indonesian island of Borneo. Since then, the global environmental advocacy group Mighty Earth has been pressuring the industry to change its ways.
Mighty Earth wants them to instead commit to using wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, like major plywood retailers Home Depot and Lowe’s have done.
With over 80 percent of the world’s RVs made in the Elkhart area, they’ll have the billboards up for at least the rest of march, says Mike Oles, Mighty Earth’s Indiana director.
“One researcher said that it could add $20 to the cost of an RV to just bump up their sourcing to the next level of sustainability so you’re talking about, not even really a profit loss," Oles says. "I’m sure most consumers would be happy to pay $20 more for an RV to know that their RV isn’t killing orangutans in Indonesia in one of the most ancient rainforests in the world.”
Oles says the two biggest companies, Thor and Forest River, and the company supplying them with the wood, Patrick Industries, have ignored their attempts to discuss the issue. Those companies did not reply to our interview requests.
