L to R: Dr. Mohd Wan Shukri Wan Ahmad, Forestry and Environment Division of FRIM; Dr. Ismail ParlanM; Rie Aramoto, Chief Operating Officer of Uniqlo Malaysia; Tomohisa Kikuchi, Chief Financial Officer of Uniqlo Malaysia
Global apparel retailer Uniqlo has reinforced its commitment to environmental conservation by donating RM200,000 to the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to support its forest conservation programmes.
The donation represents part of the proceeds collected each time customers purchase paper shopping bags in Uniqlo stores.
In collaboration with FRIM, the donation will fund various initiatives, including tree inventory and mapping, monitoring, and maintenance activities, and a Uniqlo Awareness Program.
Evelyn Tan, Director of Legal and Sustainability, Uniqlo Malaysia, said “As a member of the community, we feel a responsibility to help preserve and protect local green spaces.
"We are honoured to expand our forest conservation efforts in partnership with FRIM, aiming to enhance their conservation initiatives and raise awareness about the critical need to protect our forests.”
Dr Ismail Parlan, Director General of FRIM, said “We are grateful for Uniqlo’s support towards our conservation efforts, and their commitment to promoting environmental awareness.
"Partnerships with corporations like Uniqlo enable us to continuously conserve and preserve the trees in our project sites, while also facilitating community engagement activities to raise awareness about the importance of forests.”
Funds donated by Uniqlo to be used for FRIM’s tree inventory and mapping project will assess carbon stocking and species composition of trees with a diameter of more than 10cm through comprehensive mapping and measuring.
Monitoring and maintenance efforts will focus on replenishing natural tree falls with higher-quality timber species.
Since 2020, Uniqlo has introduced responsibly harvested, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper shopping bags.
The RM0.30 charge for paper bags in Uniqlo stores aligns with the retailer’s sustainability measures to reduce the use of single-use plastic materials in their operations.
Customers are also encouraged to bring their own reusable bags when shopping at Uniqlo stores to contribute to a greener future.
In addition to its collaboration with FRIM, Uniqlo has demonstrated its commitment to preserving green spaces through previous contributions, including donations to local forest park Taman Tugu.
These donations have supported initiatives such as the Plant Giveaway and Plant & Hunt programmes, designed to foster awareness and action towards reducing carbon footprints within communities.
As part of its environmental sustainability efforts, Uniqlo will continue to explore solutions and partnerships to further support forest conservation and environmental protection initiatives in Malaysia and globally. - KitaReporters/Media Release
Nur Hajar Zaman Shari, Senior Research Officer of FRIM; Dr. Mohd Wan Shukri Wan Ahmad; Dr. Ismail Parlan; Rie Aramoto; Tomohisa Kikuchi; and Evelyn Tan.
