In everyday life
Nutrition and household
In order to exert pressure on manufacturers to use less palm oil, whenever possible avoid using products which contain palm oil. Not every manufacturer using palm oil or palm fat, labels it as such. Instead, terms such as vegetable fat / oil, palmitic acid, palm kernel oil, sodium palmitate or stearic acid are used. A labelling requirement for food, however, came into force in Europe in December 2014.
Anyone seeking more information can turn to so-called "white lists" of palm-oil free products.
Even in organic shops it is important to ask for information about which products were made without palm oil. Probably the best option, however, is to cook yourself using local ingredients.
Palm oil in the fuel
Since the statutory mandatory blending of vegetable oil for biofuels was passed by the EU in 2010, we find palm oil in our car tanks.
However, studies by the European Commission have shown that biofuel is not always better for the environment than fossil fuel. Basically, it is more environmentally friendly to use public transport or a bicycle as often as possible.
Write to manufacturers
Those who want to go a step furthercan also contact the manufacturer and ask for future palm oil free products. In this way the industry can be made aware of our eco-friendly consumer consciousness. Here are letters (to manufacturers and / or politicians) for printing and mailing (in German only).