Tentree

Like my new Tentree hat? Back in High School I remember being oh-so conscious of what the ‘cool’ brands were, but now I find myself wanting to only wear logos bearing ethics I’m proud to promote. Cue: Tentree. They’re a Canadian casual wear company (don’t worry, they ship overseas) who are proactive with their profits. Let me tell you about the good stuff they do (and they’re not even paying me to say this)…

Tentree plants ten trees every time they sell an item. Why? They don’t just want their brand to reduce the negative impact of the garment industry, they want to actually use it as a vehicle for change. They have 20 ongoing tree-planting projects across more than 10 countries, and so far they’ve planted around 20 million trees. Each item they sell comes with a code and tag so you can find out where your trees were planted. Mine were in Madagascar.

Beyond using their profits to grow trees, Tentree are conscious of who makes their clothes too, and with what materials. They exclusively partner with factories upholding ethical and environmental standards, and the fabrics used are sustainable (organic cotton, recycled polyester, cork, or coconut). Now that makes a logo I’ll happily wear.

Why Trees?

Trees are great for both people and planet. They’re medicine. In a time when temperatures are rising and climate change threatens, trees absorb C02 and other pollutant gases whilst churning out oxygen. Large forests create clouds which reflect sunlight and cool our planet and these forests are home to millions of species, as well as providing food worldwide for the 1.6 billion people whose livelihood depends on it. Forests also create fertile land (no trees = desert), preventing floods whilst soaking up water and reducing droughts. Pretty magical stuff.