Happy New Year! Despite the change of date the palm oil issue is just as much of an issue- and that’s why the Orangutan Gang encourages you to make some New Year’s resolutions and maximize your impact.

• Check milk labels. Some types of skim and lowfat milk actually contain palm oil, in the form of Vitamin A Palmitate. You can avoid this by buying whole milk or finding a sustainable brand.
• Find palm oil free crackers. The popular brand Ritz Crackers actually uses palm oil in their products; finding a brand without palm oil is as easy as checking a label.
• Switch to sustainable soap. Finding a brand of palm oil free soap can be surprisingly difficult; the best across-the-board option seems to be Hand In Hand. But if you can’t find Hand In Hand near you, you might want to start searching for a different brand, such as JD Bauer Botanicals on Etsy. You can also look for a local brand. In Boise, one such brand is Our Planet Soap.
• Use green toothpaste. Earthpaste and Davids are two types of sustainable toothpaste among a sea of palm oil-containing brands.
• Download a scanner app. The free PalmSmart app will allow you to tell which products are unsustainable. It doesn’t make a distinction between RSPO-certified products and those which are actually palm oil free, but it will allow you to filter out the worst products.
• Share these resolutions! You can spread the word, encouraging others to take action and help save the rainforest.

Happy New Year, and have a sustainable day!

~Pangaea Finn, Founder and Director