Growing concerns about the use of palm oil in a wide variety of products and its impact on the Indonesian rainforest prompted us, at Mayflower Ireland, to remove palm oil from all our products.
In just two decades, the growth of palm oil is responsible for the destruction of over 3.5 million hectares of Indonesian and Malaysian rainforest. Mass deforestation to make way for oil palm plantations has destroyed the rainforest and its wildlife such as the orangutan, elephant and tiger. It is estimated that nearly 80% of orangutan habitat has disappeared in the last 20 years and that we are losing over 6000 orangutans every year as a result.
Palm oil is a widely used vegetable oil and can be found in about half of all packaged goods sold in our supermarkets.
It is found in a wide variety of products from toothpaste, soaps and shampoos to crisps, ice creams, sauces and margarine. More people are becoming aware of the impact we, as consumers, have on the planet and businesses in a variety of industries are now taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint and aim to deliver products that are safe for the environment. We, at Mayflower Ireland, are very keen to take part and have decided to remove palm oil from all our products. We feel it is often small steps like these that can in time make a difference in a big way.