One Tree Planted

THE ORGANIZATION and ABC
REQUEST FOR CUSTOMER INPUT

One Tree Planted (OTP) is an relatively new nonprofit organization. We have researched the work they do and we are now considering the option of supporting and partnering with them.

We are writing this article to ask for feedback from our customers about whether this organization would be a good fit for our environmental responsibility goal. This goal is a core corporate objective at ABC because we care about helping to create a healthier, environmentally safer, and more sustainable world. We continually strive to provide environmentally safe cleaning for the items in your home and business, especially rugs, carpets, and upholstered furniture. 

OTP MISSION

Currently, climate change, deforestation, and the finite nature of our planet’s natural resources have put the subject of sustainability at the top of discussions.

The mission of One Tree Planted is to help reforestation efforts around the world by making it simple for individuals and corporations to take part in sustainability issues. Their slogan is super simple:  “One Dollar Plants One Tree.”

WHY BE CONCERNED WITH REFORESTATION?

Every 2 seconds, man destroys an area of forest the size of a football field. Deforestation comes in many forms, including fires, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching, and development, unsustainable logging for timber, and degradation due to climate change.

We lose about 46-58 thousand square miles of forest each year to products we buy and use every day. This would be unsustainable without active reforestation efforts, especially when you consider how long it takes for a tree to grow and mature. In 2017 in California alone, wildfires destroyed 462,397 acres and about 231 million trees were lost.

PARTNERING WITH ONE TREE PLANTED...
WHAT IS INVOLVED?

If we decide to partner with OTP, we will donate $1.00 for each cleaning invoice we produce. That’s $1.00 for any work we do for you in your home or business, or cleaning in our plant--each time we do it.

Over the course of just 1 year, that will be thousands of trees planted. You may even decide to donate a few dollars yourself after learning more about what the organization does!  One Tree Planted makes it simple and straightforward for anyone to do more for the environment.  

HOW DOES $1.00 GET
ONE TREE PLANTED?

Although prices vary slightly in different regions, tree saplings cost about 50 cents, about 20 cents to get planted, and about 20% for administrative expenses, such as ongoing maintenance of trees and operating costs. Essentially, you can get a tree planted for a dollar!

WHAT MAKES THIS TREE PLANTING NON-PROFIT DIFFERENT?

TREE SURVIVAL

One Tree Planted makes sure the tree survival is 80% or higher. This can only happen with an understanding of the local community who knows what type of trees to plant, who to work with, where to plant, what is the best time to plant there, what is the best soil type, etc.

DONATIONS GO THROUGH REFORESTATION PARTNERS WHO UNDERSTAND THE REGION AND ITS TREES

The tree planting projects around the world are run by carefully chosen reforestation partners that understand the local environment and can be there to maintain it after the trees are planted.

OTP pools the donations received and then quarterly gives it to the reforestation partners in each region selected. One Tree Planted makes a commitment for giving X dollars per year, and then the reforestation partners factor that amount into their tree planting season.

ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE

The organization accentuates the positive rather than focusing on the declining conditions of the environment. The simple fact that you can plant one tree for $1 and this will make a difference is an example of the uplifting language used by OTP to show that change is possible and people can help make it happen.

EDUCATION ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES

Not only does the organization drive reforestation efforts, but they also promote awareness and education about the importance of trees for our planet and future generations.

Elementary schools and Universities (especially those with sustainability programs) can also partner with OTP to help organize tree planting events in their local communities. 

WHAT AREA OF THE WORLD CAN I CHOOSE TO HAVE MY TREE OR TREES PLANTED?

There are currently 4 regions of the world from which to choose.

North America:

British Columbia, California, Colorado, Florida, and Oregon         

Latin America:

Brazil, Guatemala, and Haiti

Asia:

India, Indonesia, and Viet Nam

Africa:

Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda

WHEN WILL MY TREE BE PLANTED?

The time between your donation and the actual tree planting will vary depending on the region you have chosen and the time of year. OTP will send you an update, if you choose, with photos and information, such as the tree species planted, expected survival rates, community engagement, and ecological benefits.

MAY I DEDICATE OR GIFT MY TREE or TREES to SOMEONE I CARE ABOUT?

Yes! Select ‘Gift Some Trees’ on any project page of their website. You will be prompted to choose a digital gift card to send to the recipient via email or text message. You can also write a personal message on their digital Tree Certificate using the ‘Gift Options’ field on the Cart page.

If you would like to send a physical Tree Certificate as a gift, this can also be found under ‘Gift Options’ on the Cart page. There is a $5 cost to print the certificate and $5 for postage and handling.

WHY DOES PLANTING TREES MATTER?

• Trees clean the air we breathe. Leaves and bark absorb harmful pollutants and release clean oxygen.

• Trees provide access to clean water by filtering the water we drink.
• Trees help to prevent soil erosion.They capture rainwater and reduce the risk of natural disasters such as floods and landslides by slowing down water’s absorption into the ground.

• Trees are the habitat to over 80% of the word’s biodiversity. A single tree can be home to hundreds of species of insect, fungi, moss, mammals, and plants.

• Trees provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people. Arborists and loggers as well as researchers depend on the forestry industry. Sustainable tree farming provides timber to build homes and shelter and wood to burn for cooking and heating.

• Trees improve our health by:

Producing the oxygen we need to breathe.

Helping to reduce stress and anxiety and allowing us to reconnect with nature, as well as provide shade to protect our skin from the sun

Absorbing harmful carbon from the atmosphere helping to mitigate climate change. Trees in cities can reduce the overall temperature by approximately 46 degrees F.

Providing fruits, nuts, berries, and leaves that guarantee health and nutrition for both humans and animals.

Providing the key ingredients in ¼ of all medicines. Aspirin comes from the bark of a tree!

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER BUSINESSES WHICH HAVE PARTNERED WITH OTP

Here are just a few businesses and how they support this organization:

Noble Oak Whiskey –Noble Oak plants one tree for every bottle of bourbon sold. They have committed to planting 75,000 trees across 10 states.

Sengled – The ‘Element’ is the world’s first carbon neutral light bulb. They plant one tree for each ‘Element’ sold.

Adidas-To celebrate International Yoga Day, Adidas will plant a tree for every ‘tree pose’ photo posted on social media.

Zipcar and Ford: Earth Day Partnership-To celebrate Earth Day and reward university students for reducing their impact, Zipcar & Ford plant a tree for every car-share ride booked. This is a key part of their commitment to fostering sustainable lifestyles in cities. They have planted over 50,000 trees in Oregon so far.

Sole Visa Payroll Card-Paperless Trees Project. Encouraging their clients to transition to 100% paperless payroll, SOLE Pay Card have initiated the Paperless Trees project. For every client that switches to direct deposit, SOLE plants a grove of trees in their name and sends out a paperless award. Thanks to this project, they have planted over 12,000 trees.

The Travel Corporation: Trees for E-Docs- Travel and leisure group TTC are taking their commitment to sustainable tourism one step further. For every customer that opts out of paper documents, they plant one tree. From Tanzania to California, each of their brands has selected a region to focus on, spreading their impact across the globe.

Vega -This is a plant-based protein powder which has partnered with One Tree Planted for Earth Day.

Google donates $10k a month.

SO PLEASE LET US KNOW...

Please give us your feedback by contacting us  or calling us at (607-272-1566) to let us know what you think about ABC lending support to One Tree Planted.

We would love to hear from you and we will take into account any comments you may have.

UPDATE TO THIS ARTICLE

OTP has just announced it has added Bolivia as a new reforestation region for those who would like to support rainforest restoration and biodiversity in the Amazon Basin.

The Amazon Rainforest, the world's largest tropical rainforest, spans 9 countries including Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. It is roughly the size of the 48 contiguous United States and covers approximately 40% of the South American Continent. Unfortunately, the area has been losing trees at an alarming rate because of illegal logging, industry, drought, and over-farming.

According to One Tree Planted, the goals of this particular project is "to reforest this unique and precious area, restore nutrients to the soil, and teach local farmers how planting trees can be more valuable than cutting them down."

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