Remember that car crash of a trend that had everyone posting pet pictures for trees to be planted last year? It kept barreling on until, slowly but surely, we all wondered whether any of the trees were actually being planted. And spoiler alert: they weren’t. So, if you’re a bit sceptical about companies planting trees, understandable, mates.
We don’t just cosy up to any company anymore, either. Gone are the days where we threw our money around willy nilly. In an Australian Ethical Consumer Report that surveyed Aussies in 2021, three in five consumers (62%) have become more aware of the impacts of their purchasing decisions. When presented with similar companies to pick from and one of them has an ethical or sustainable edge? You better believe it’s lookin’ like a more enticing choice. But how do we know we’re not just falling for a bit of flashy wording? Another pet picture snafu?
Some companies, like felix mobile, offer this edge with their service. The phone plan donates one tree to be planted for every month you’re with them. Sounds good, eh? But is it too good to be true?
Let’s dig in (pun wholeheartedly intended).
So, how can companies plant trees on our behalf?
It’s not like if we switch our phone provider, that felix themselves skedaddle down to some empty land to whack a willow in. Who knows what kind of chaos those roots could cause down the line? No, they actually partner with a non-profit that specialises in tree planting and have the expertise and experience in planting and restoring projects.
To suss out whether a company has hitched its wagon to a good one, there’s a few key things to look for. Organisations that plan projects with locals and Indigenous communities are your best bet. To be effective, projects must be planned out with these communities to ensure the correct trees are selected for the climate and terrain, that a variety of species are selected, and that the upkeep they’ll need is in place for the future. Demonstrable reports also don’t hurt.
One Tree Planted is one of the many organisations that plant trees around the globe. In 2021, the non-profit planted over 23 million trees worldwide, with over 2 million of them in Australia. It’s also the org that felix mobile partners with to support a number of projects around the world, including here in Australia with different focuses, from bushfire recovery, to habitat restoration and creation, soil regeneration and community volunteering.
What impact does planting more trees have?
There’s a lot of fuss about trees – but the versatile things really do live up to the hype. They can provide home, shade, food and shelter to animals. Bless! More trees and forests can also mean more jobs and food for us, too. For example, one new project in Bhutan, will focus on planting fruit trees on unused farmlands to provide fruit and nuts to the local community.
But probably the granddaddy of all the perks to planting more trees is that the big hunks of lumber literally clean the air. They suck carbon dioxide out of the air and spit oxygen back out. While cutting fossil fuel emissions is the most pressing way to tackle the climate crisis, planting trees is a great bloody way to help this scrambling globe move in the right direction.
The nitty gritty stats
The proof has gotta be in the pudding. There are a lot of different not-for-profit organisations that plant trees, so their impacts vary depending on how many projects they have going on and whether they plant trees close to home, or all over the globe. To get a snapshot, let’s just focus on One Tree Planted.
According to its latest report, 2021 saw One Tree Planted restore over 35,000 hectares of forest, support over 35,000 farming families, employ/involve over 5,000 women and engage over 39,000 volunteers. New monitoring practices and project criteria for quality and accountability were implemented, too, to ensure long-term success.
To date, felix mobile has contributed 275,000 trees with One Tree Planted and have a goal to plant one million. Not too shabby, if you ask me. It’s also a certified carbon neutral company, buying renewable electricity to cover the power used in providing its services, and contributing to projects to offset all other emissions. For $35/month you can cop unlimited calls, texts and data at speeds of up to 20Mbps. Plus, there’s no lock-contracts so it’s perks-a-plenty. Find out more, here.
So, I think it’s safe to say planting trees is a ripper way to make a positive impact and, if nothing else, we’ve learned how to look into it enough to avoid another pet picture scandal. But in all seriousness, if you’re looking to do what you can for the planet as the climate crisis rages on, your choices can make a difference. Dig in a little to what businesses you’re signed up with.
You may be able to switch things up for the better this year.
Use promo code PEDESTRIAN for your first month free. *Then $35/mth on a no lock-in contract. New customers only. Ends 30/06/22. T&Cs apply.
