Tentree international: Creating a socially responsible company the right way.

I guess that one of the perks of having a personal blog is that I can hone up on my rusty writing skills whilst commenting about things that I am passionate about. Another bonus is that I can talk about what I like, as I like it, without having to slime up to anybody and with the freedom of judging the highlights and drawbacks of any initiative or project that catches my eye. There won’t be advertorials here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t talk about products and ideas that I think are worth mentioning. Tentree is one of them.

The Rainy Hour: Tentree has become an example to follow in corporate responsibility and environmental initiativ

With all the world has got to offer, for good and for bad, some companies are starting to show that behind the thunderous rumble of the cash flowing in, they also have a beating heart. After initiatives by TOM (later copied by Skechers Bobs ) that pledged to help people in need with every purchased product raised the bar for corporate social awareness and responsibility, some companies have adapted initiatives to their plans in order to keep up with this trend. Others have incorporated it in their DNA.

For Kalen Emsley , Derrick Emsley and David Luwa, preserving the environment is a big issue. By learning from the social initiatives employed by other companies, the two friends were sure that their projects would help protect the environment and ensure that they are preserved for future generations.

The idea arose from their deep love for environmental preservation and a coincidental trip to Hawaii. When peering at the Hawaiian backdrop from a cliff after striding and hiking through the jungles of Oahu, and seeing the contrast between the rich green forests and the bustling city of Honolulu, the current movement of other companies to try to make a difference in the world encouraged the group to try to make a similar, meaningful impact towards protecting the environment. Tentree was born.

For the company, the impact they want to have is directly and intrinsically linked to their product. Their business plans and call-to-actions will always be connected with sustainability and environmental protection worldwide, and with an admirable array of success stories, Tentree is succeeding in educating their consumers on the direct impact they have, whilst protecting the world through reforestation. The concept is simple: For every purchase a consumer makes, ten trees will be planted.

Kalen already had experience in tree-planting with his brother Derrick. In high-school the brothers had engineered a tree-planting business in oe to sell carbon offsets. Whilst the project appeared to be short-lived, the incepted determination to invest in reforestation and the environment stirred them on to devote their efforts to Tentree.

Over 600 stores, nearly 10 million trees and great success stories.

Today, Tentree has over 600 stores in North America alone and are slowly looking to expand abroad. They already are present worldwide though, working in 13 different countries, a visit to their blog suffices to see their success stories in places like Madagascar and Senegal, where they have helped plant millions of trees and adapt to different initiatives, such as restoring wetlands in Madagascar, creating employment and helping local communities.

Reforestation in areas like these is essential. Here’s a recap and something to reflect on: When hurricane Matthew reached Haiti and the Dominican Republic this year, why was it that the former country suffered such catastrophic damage in relation to the latter? One of the key factors was deforestation as the Haitian community has a heavy dependence on timber. When the heavy rainfalls came, there were too few trees and quality soil to retain the water, causing heavy flooding. In Madagascar, similar problems occur. The local community cut trees for wood, scents and other resources without fully comprehending the importance of these trees on the ecosystem and their environment. By removing these trees, the root beds, that provided fish hatchery for the local marine life degraded; the fish were forced to leave, and the fishing community dwindled. By educating the locals, and employing people to plant trees, Tentree is working on improving the quality of life of people worldwide whilst improving the environment and allowing their consumers to actively take part in this process whilst additionally making a bit of money for themselves too.

With every purchase that you make at Tentree, you receive a tree token, a code where you will be able to track where your trees have been planted and the impact your trees have made on communities worldwide

They also have a set target of 10 million planted trees by the end of 2016. Today, the number of threes they have planted stands at 9,978,730.

This is definitely one of the best examples of corporate responsibility around. By having a clear strategy, a great and compelling story to tell a fabulous social media strategy and following, Tentree are on a roll. And here’s the best part, their clothes are pretty cool too, even though 75 dollars for hoodie can be a bit tough for an unemployed Spaniard. Then again, it is Christmas, and there is nothing quite better than getting rid of the superficial aura of the festive season than by buying something that is made from organic or recycled materials looks cool, comfortable and that helps make a difference.