P&G, or Procter and Gamble, is a large corporation that produces many product brands that are distributed to Americans every day. P&G brands include popular shampoo names like Pantene and Head and Shoulders. In many shampoos, companies use something called Palm Oil, which is a type of vegetable oil derived from palm fruit, that gives shampoo a soft texture. What a lot of everyday product consumers do not know is that P&G brands like Pantene and Head and Shoulders, do not use sustainable Palm Oil.

Several companies linked to P&G have undergone investigations made by the Greenpeace organization, where they have been deemed irresponsible for the use of sustainable palm oil; therefore they abide with the deforestation of habitat belonging to the endangered species Sumatran orangutans and tigers. In a 2014 article written by Jennifer Elks, a writer for Sustainablebrands.com, she states that, according to the Greenpeace organization, “There are ways of producing palm oil that won't destroy the habitat of the last remaining Sumatran orangutans and tigers. As an organization that buys thousands of tonnes of palm oil each year, P&G can be part of the solution by insisting on palm oil that’s 100% free of forest destruction”. Although many household products include the use of palm oil, P&G is a viable corporation to start with because of their large portions of palm oil used annually.

Some P&G brands, including Olay, have already begun their journey on a better route of retrieving palm oil, one that is sustainable and deforestation free. So why can't the rest of P&G become a deforestation free corporation? Although these popular brands like Pantene and Head and Shoulders do not use sustainable palm oil in their shampoos, many consumers are unaware of this and continue to buy their products, therefore supporting deforestation unconsciously. By boycotting the use of brands like Pantene, Head and Shoulders, and other P&G brands, we will be able to gain the attention of P&G CEO A.G. Lafley.

According to the excerpt of Lafley on P&G’s website under executive team, during Lafley’s 2000-2009 term as president, he “doubled sales and grew its portfolio(P&G Corporation) of billion-dollar brands from 10 to 23 with a focus on consumer-driven innovation and consistent, reliable, sustainable growth.” As a CEO of a large corporation who was able to increase sales with a focus that included “sustainable growth,” it would be in his best interest to know that consumers are indeed aware of the palm oil pulled from high carbon forests that are also harming endangered species. The terrible use of unsustainable palm oil is no longer a well kept secret and could cost big corporations large losses.

P&G CEO A.G. Lafley, as a corporate leader who includes “sustainable growth” in your focus plan, put your efforts into actually making all brands under P&G deforestation free by spending the millions of dollars you've helped this coporation earn into using sustainable palm oil. By doing so, P&G will become an official corporation that can say they use sustainable palm oil and will become a leading company to other corporations as well. By using sustainable palm oil in all products, P&G will become an even more popular household product name that customers will gladly continue to purchase and use.