Palm Oil Free

Palm Oil Free

At Pure Ratbag, we are very proud to say that we have taken time and care to formulate our skin nourishing products without the use of Palm Oil.

We are completely PALM OIL FREE.

We strongly believe that as an educated society, we need to make choices that not only consider the human race, but that also consider all other living creatures and our environment, if we are to help make the world a better place for future generations.

Whilst this choice has meant an increase in our own production costs, we believe it was a choice worth taking.
Please read the below information which can be found on the Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia website.
What is palm oil?

Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the African oil palm tree. It is believed to have recently eclipsed soybean oil to become the world’s most widely-produced edible oil.

It is used in many food, cosmetic and household products. More recently it is being touted as a biofuel – despite evidence that the use of palm oil-based diesel actually increases greenhouse emissions.

Why is palm oil a threat to the orangutans?

The increased demand for palm oil, which is grown only in tropical environments, is fuelling destruction of the rainforest habitat of Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, pushing those endangered species even closer to extinction. Estimates show that if something isn’t done soon to stop the spread of oil palm plantations into the forests, orangutans will be extinct within 10-20 years.

The single greatest threat facing orangutans today is the rapidly expanding palm oil trade. Rainforests are being cleared at the rate of 300 football fields per hour to make way for oil palm plantations.
While there are millions of hectares of degraded land that could be used for plantations, many oil palm companies choose to instead use rainforest land to gain additional profits by logging the timber first. Palm oil companies also frequently use uncontrolled burning to clear the land, resulting in thousands of orangutans being burned to death. Those that survive have nowhere to live and nothing left to eat.

Is there such a thing as sustainable palm oil?

The answer is yes but less than 7% of total production is currently certified as sustainable. Furthermore manufacturers are proving reluctant to pay the premium associated with this product.
Manufacturers may claim to be using sustainable palm oil because they are members of, or supplied by members of, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. However, this in itself is no guarantee as members only need commit to “working towards” producing a sustainable product.

If you would like to read more about Palm Oil and the threats to the Orangutans and what you can do, you can visit their website here www.orangutans.com.au