Feb. 11, 2008 – Staples has canceled its contract with Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), the Wall Street Journal reports. The office supplies giant follows in the footsteps of other large U.S. paper sellers, including rival Office Depot, which have severed ties with the Singapore-based company amid concerns over deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.

"We decided engagement was not possible anymore," says Mark Buckley vice president for environmental issues at Staples. "We haven't seen any indication that APP has been making any positive [environmental] strides."

Environmental watchdogs charge that APP clear-cuts endangered rainforests to supply its mills, and that the fires it sets to clear underbrush release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Last October, the Forest Stewardship Council barred APP from using its eco-friendly logo.

APP supplied 9% of Staples’ paper, including the materials for the company’s proprietary paper stock.