Cost Plus World Market sells tropical hardwood outdoor and patio furniture made from nyatoh and balau. Rainforest Relief notified Cost Plus of the destruction of the rainforests of Indonesia and Vietnam to log nyatoh. After the company, which has 186 stores in 23 states, failed to address our concerns, we began a postcard campaign demanding that they immediately stop selling nyatoh and phase out any woods from endangered rainforests.

The company responded to the postcards with a letter pointing to their policy to only buy wood from forests designated for commercial logging. This position ignores the fact that commercial logging and associated roads are the leading cause of rainforest destruction and degradation in Indonesia, Malaysia and many other areas.

To date we have sent at least 800 postcards to the company, and we know they are feeling the need to respond due to a new entry on their web site under “Is your outdoor furniture collection environmentally responsible?” in their “Commonly Asked Questions” section, which states that their "outdoor furniture is made from farmed Nyatoh and Balau tropical woods" and that the suppliers "certify the wood used to make their products has been legally harvested..."

Of course, this is timber industry hogwash being parroted by Cost Plus. The forests being logged in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietam for these woods are not “farms,” at least not until after they are logged, and there is nothing “ecologically sound” about logging in these countries. Also, self-certification of timber companies cannot ensure that wood is from even legal sources, particularly when the vast majority of wood from these areas is logged illegally, and no legitimate paper trail is available.


Take Action for Southeast Asia’s Rainforests!

Rainforest Relief held a demonstration at a Portland Cost Plus store the weekend before Christmas (see the story in our News and Events section). When company executives returned to work after holiday vacations, they found an email from the store manager asking how they will address the protesters' concerns.

Now it's your turn to add dozens of emails, faxes and phone messages from activists around the country! Please phone, write, fax or email Cost Plus today and request that they: 1) cease sales of woods from illegal sources (particularly nyatoh and balau), 2) phase out sales of woods from endangered forests, and 3) phase in woods that are certified under Forest Stewardship Council guidelines. Here is the contact information:

Barry J. Feld, CEO
Cost Plus World Market
200 4th Street
Oakland, CA 94607
Email: barry.feld@cpwm.com
Phone (510) 893-7300
Fax (510) 893-6418

For a real impact, hold your own protest at a Cost Plus store in your area. Contact us for more information. To find the Cost Plus store nearest you, see the store finder on the Cost Plus website.

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