Reducing Our Carbon Footprint by Planting Trees and Helping Small Scale Farmers
Every year members of our sales team pack up their vans and head out across the country to visit current and prospective stores. While we take pride in this unique aspect of our company, we are also aware of the impact that multiple cross country trips in a van has on the environment.
What exactly is the impact? Well, for example, it is emitting 67 tons of CO2 just in the year, 2014. That is the reason that we have teamed up with the outstanding organization, the Pur Projet to reduce our carbon footprint as a company.
The Pur Projet organization has a vision to change the world, “Our mission is to integrate social and environmental innovations to the heart of business and corporate activities, to regenerate, revitalize and preserve the ecosystems we depend upon.” With that said, Pur Projet believes that their partnered organizations have ‘Pur(e)’ intentions to better the social and environmental issues that exists on our planet. The organization provides native trees for the reforestation on small producers’ cocoa plantations in the Amazon.
Pur Projet says it right! By giving back to the environment that gives companies, like Blue Orange, the resources to produce the products that are sold, is only fair. Pur Projet goes on to say, “By integrating these concerns within their sectors and activities, Pur Projet partner organizations offer a vision and means that lead to concrete projects to improve social and environmental activities and products.” Trees are planted following agroforestry systems improving the yield of cocoa trees while preserving soil and water quality and protecting biodiversity.
Since 2000, 952,000 miles were driven by Blue Orange, releasing 370 tons of CO2, which means that 1,110 trees have been planted to date. This past year, 2014, Blue Orange vans drove 152,000 miles consuming 10 liters/100 km of gas producing 67 tons of CO2 emissions. This means that 201 trees were planted in 2014 to offset our carbon footprint! When a tree has reached it’s level of maturity, it will take 14 years for the tree to offset one year of 67 tons of CO2 emissions.Not only does this help to shrink our carbon stamp and to fight against global warming, but there are also co-benefits with social and environmental issues.
The Pur Project shares that, “Small-scale farmers and their families account for 4.2 billion people or two-thirds of the world’s population. They can, if supported financially, fight efficiently against climate change by applying agroforestry models that incorporate trees to their existing crops.” As a result, 1,500 farmers cultivate Fair Trade and Organic certified cocoa to increase and diversify their earnings. While planting trees reduces carbon footprint and global warming, giving work opportunities to small-scale farmers makes the Pur Projet a win-win organization!
In 2014, our 201 trees have been planted by farmer, Elias Villacorta, in a forest area of Peru. The type of tree depends on the location and the square footage, but the type of tree planted could be a Caoba or Capirona tree.
We are so proud to be able to reduce our carbon footprint as a company, but even prouder to do so with a world changing organization with Pur(e) Intentions, such as Pur Projet.We understand the need to work towards the preservation of our planet. We believe it’s important to take steps to reduce the environmental impact of our business and to share our passion for sustainability.
For more information, visit: www.purprojet.com
How to get involved: http://purprojet.com/en/how-to-get-involved
All photos are credited to: Christian Lamontagne
Preparing for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, I was to collect two 50 pound bags of donations for the orphanage, anything from shoes, to soccer balls, to pencils, to chalk, were accepted. On top of that, you were to pack a carry-on with your own belongings. Our leaders prepared us with a list of what to bring, which was very daunting, from snacks to specific sunscreen and bug spray, all to fit in one carry on and a backpack.
This was the biggest lesson that I learned from the children, and yes I learned way more from them than I could ever return to them. But the lesson learned was that love is really the biggest possession that we carry and are capable of sharing on a day to day basis, locally and globally. A smile and a hug is really all it takes. On top of that, most of these kids have overcome huge struggles at such a young age, yet their smiles are some of the brightest that I have ever seen. It was a huge wakeup call and reminder to be happy everyday and not to sweat the small stuff that we are tested with constantly. It is easy to get wrapped up in our busy lives when we are as privileged as we are in our first world countries.
