St Mary's Weekly Eco Tip: Avoid palm oil, if possible

Palm oil is inexpensive to cultivate, which is why it appears in so many everyday products. When David Attenborough recently returned to Indonesia, he was struck by how much forest had been replaced with oil palm plantations. Across Southeast Asia, an estimated 12.5% of forest cover has been lost to palm oil production and other commercial crops. These forests are home to the iconic orangutan; as its habitat disappears, so too does its chance of survival along with that of many other species.

The challenge is that palm oil is found almost everywhere. A study examining several thousand supermarket products discovered that nearly half contained palm oil not only a wide range of processed foods, but also cleaning supplies and personal care items.

For more eco tips, visit the St Mary’s website: https://www.stmaryislington.org/ecochurch