Disappearing Forests: What’s at Stake and What You Can Do About It
Disappearing Forests: What’s at Stake and What You Can Do About It
Author: Team Grove
In the time it takes to read this, about 8,400 square feet of Canada’s boreal forest will be wiped out. In just the last 15 years, an area the size of Ohio has been clear-cut — much of it for disposable products like toilet paper.¹ Despite the growing availability of sustainable alternatives like recycled paper and bamboo, many brands continue to prioritize virgin fiber, further driving deforestation and habitat loss. The Amazon rainforest faces an even more dire situation, with 10,000 acres of trees destroyed every day.² Since 1988, deforestation has claimed an area the size of California, pushing the Amazon to the brink of transforming into savannah.³ This devastating shift disrupts ecosystems, accelerates climate change, and threatens countless species, including us.
What's at stake?
Forests like Canada’s boreal and the Amazon rainforest are vital to our planet’s climate, biodiversity, and indigenous communities. They regulate our climate, shelter countless species, and sustain communities. If we don’t act, the consequences will be felt globally, threatening ecosystems and the societies that depend on these forests.
Climate change
Canada’s boreal forest and the Amazon rainforest collectively hold 29 percent of the world’s terrestrial carbon stock, playing a critical role in regulating the planet's climate. While the boreal forest emits approximately 26 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, it offsets this by removing around 113 million metric tons.⁴ In stark contrast, the Amazon rainforest now emits over a billion metric tons of CO2 annually, with recent studies confirming it now emits more carbon than it absorbs, primarily due to emissions from clear-cutting fires.⁵
Indigenous communities
Hundreds of indigenous leaders in Latin American forest communities have been killed over land disputes, and demands for forest protections by indigenous groups worldwide have led to persecution and racism.⁶ Deforestation across the globe — including in Indonesia, Africa, and Latin and North America — continues to destroy the livelihoods of indigenous peoples. Supporting indigenous rights is crucial for the health of our forests, as deforestation rates are up to 20 times lower in tribal territories.⁹
Wildlife habitats and ecosystems
Canada’s boreal forest is home to some of North America’s most iconic wildlife species, including the boreal caribou, grizzly bears, California condors, and millions of songbirds — all of which are endangered and dwindling fast.⁷ In the Amazon rainforest, more than 10,000 species are at risk of extinction, including giant otters, macaws, and spider monkeys.⁸
Three things you can do to help
Protecting our forests requires collective action, and your choices can make a huge difference. Here are 3 simple, effective steps you can take to help protect our forests:
1. Switch to recycled paper or bamboo-based paper products
While bamboo cultivation has some negative environmental impacts, it’s a far more sustainable alternative to wood. Plus, unlike traditional forests, many bamboo forests are grown specifically for producing products like paper, so existing ecosystems and bamboo-eating wildlife like pandas go unharmed. Look for options made from 100% FSC-certified bamboo, ensuring responsible sourcing that supports sustainability, biodiversity, and local communities. From bamboo toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues to compostable paper plates, switching to bamboo or recycled paper products can help reduce the demand for virgin forest fiber.
2. Pay attention to packaging
A great way to reduce paper waste is by choosing products with minimal, eco-friendly packaging. Packaging made from aluminum and glass is an excellent alternative, as both materials can be recycled infinitely. Next in line are options made from bamboo-based or post-consumer recycled paper. Other great options to help keep packaging out of landfills and ensure that trees stay in the forests is by following local guidelines for paper and cardboard recycling. Proper recycling keeps materials in use longer by turning them into new products, reducing waste, and supporting circular systems that conserve natural resources.
3. Put your money and your voice to work for a better future
Consumer buying power is a powerful driver of real and meaningful change. Every dollar you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. By supporting companies committed to sustainability — whether through donations to environmental causes, advocating for new legislation, sourcing sustainable ingredients, or reducing waste — you help drive progress. And your impact doesn’t stop at the checkout. Public pressure shapes laws, shifts corporate policies, and redefines what’s acceptable. Make the calls, write the letters, and take this fight all the way to the voting booth. The future of our forests depends on it.
Sources:
1 Vinyard, S. (n.d.). Issue with tissue 2.0. Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved December 10, 2024, from https://www.nrdc.org/bio/shelley-vinyard/issue-tissue-20
2 Carrington, D. (2021, October 7). The Amazon rainforest is losing 200,000 acres a day – soon it will be too late. The Guardian. Retrieved December 10, 2024, from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/07/the-amazon-rain-forest-is-losing-200000-acres-a-day-soon-it-will-be-too-late
3 Mather, P. (2021, October 7). *The Amazon rainforest is losing 200,000 acres a day – soon it will be too late*. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/07/the-amazon-rain-forest-is-losing-200000-acres-a-day-soon-it-will-be-too-late
4 Axelrod, J. (2021, September 29). Canada’s boreal clearcutting is a climate threat. Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/josh-axelrod/canadas-boreal-clearcutting-climate-threat
5 Graham-Harrison, E. (2021, July 14). Amazon rainforest now emitting more CO2 than it absorbs. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/14/amazon-rainforest-now-emitting-more-co2-than-it-absorbs
6 Graham-Harrison, E. (2021, March 25). Indigenous peoples by far the best guardians of forests, UN report finds. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/25/indigenous-peoples-by-far-the-best-guardians-of-forests-un-report
7 Arbor Day Foundation. (n.d.). These animals are disappearing from North American forests. Arbor Day Blog. https://arbordayblog.org/replanting-our-national-forests/these-animals-are-disappearing-from-north-american-forests/
8 Reuters. (2021, July 14). Over 10,000 species at risk of extinction in the Amazon, says landmark report. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/over-10000-species-risk-extinction-amazon-says-landmark-report-2021-07-14/
9 Chazdon, R. L. (2006). Forests and forestry in a changing world. Conservation Biology, 20(6), 1492–1493. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2006.00351.x
What is Grove Collaborative doing to protect our forests?
Grove is partnering with The Nature Conservancy™ to support Indigenous-led conservation across two million acres of Earth’s largest remaining coastal temperate rainforest, which is home to Indigenous peoples of Alaska as well as thousands of animal species. We’re also proud to partner with Gravity Climate to better understand our carbon footprint, and participate in carbon offset projects that reduce deforestation around the world.
