How Does Unus munduS Plant All These Trees?


You might be wondering, are Anthony and Matt out there digging holes and planting all these trees themselves? That's a great question! 

The short answer is no, we aren't planting all these trees ourselves. That would be very inefficient and we know our time is better spent leaving that to experts who can do it at scale while we continue making products you'll love that enable the planting of trees by those who need employment the most. 

We've partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects to do the planting and their mission is simple: "Plant Trees, Save Lives"

Eden is a 501c3 non profit organization that partners with businesses like Unus munduS to hire the poorest of the poor to reforest their native lands. 

The reason we are big fans of Eden Reforestation is because their mission closely aligns with ours - they not only help the planet, but they also help those who are most in need of employment and give them dignified work. 



This model shows how Eden Reforestation operates and the benefits that are produced. Not only are they helping the environment through carbon reduction by planting trees, there are side effects such as restored animal habitat, water tables rising, higher quality soil/better farming conditions and ultimately a better life for those who live in the area and are doing the initial planting. 

Where are my Trees Getting Planted?

Our trees are planted by Eden in one of 3 countries: Kenya, Mozambique, or Madagascar. Our goal as the Unus munduS community grows is to establish our own designated planting sites within these countries and make visits to meet those doing the planting and help plant a few trees ourselves. 

Kenya

Kenya is an incredibly beautiful place from the creativity of the people to the diversity of its landscapes and wildlife. From the highlands to the coast, Kenya has an incredible diversity of forest types that have long-supported communities and wildlife. The cultural and ecological heritage of Kenya’s forests is vibrant and unique, but the management of them in recent decades has been unsustainable. Just 7% of Kenya is covered in forest today and 42% of the people in Kenya are living below the poverty line. They need our help!

Mozambique

Mozambique is located on the eastern coast of Africa with 68% of its population living in rural parts of the country. This Eastern African country is home to 20 globally threatened bird species, and over 200 endemic mammal species. With over 45% of the population living beneath the poverty line, the population relies heavily on its natural resources and forests for survival.

Historically home to vast mangrove estuaries and forests, Mozambique’s mangroves have been largely decimated and destroyed.

Eden Reforestation Projects is working with local communities and villagers to restore, replant and protect these precious forest systems. 

Madagascar

Madagascar is more than just an island from an animated movie. It’s a nation with over 200,000 species of plants and animals that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. But more than 90% of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed, displacing entire animal species and taking away the Malagasy’s ability to farm and live on the land. Entire mangrove estuaries are gone, leaving the bare earth to wash away into the sea - we can help turn this around, 1 tree at a time!

Where Can I Learn More About Eden and Their Planting Efforts?

We recommend that you check out Eden's FAQ page to learn more about how they plant, the types of trees they plant, and how the reforested areas are taken care of long term.

As always, thank you for being part of the Unus munduS family. Please reach out to us on our Contact Us page if you have any questions, product suggestions, or ideas on how we can make the world a better place. We'd love to hear from you!

Reducing your carbon footprint is always an ongoing process and nobody's perfect. We are always working to reduce our footprint and here's 5 easy ways you can get started!

TAKE A HIKE 
1. Reduce the amount you drive by walking, biking, or taking public transportation when possible. According to the EPA, the typical passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons (10,141 pounds) of CO2 per year. This adds up quickly when you think of all the cars on the road! In addition to helping the environment, there are a ton of benefits to getting more exercise, both physically and mentally. Your body and the earth will thank you! 

GET A LITTLE STINKY... BUT NOT TOO STINKY
2. Wear clothes more than once before throwing them in the wash, and when you do laundry (please don't stop washing your clothes altogether, that's un-hygienic and we don't want people to start avoiding you), wash your clothes in cold water to help reduce the amount of energy needed. 

DITCH THE PLASTIC
3. Use a reusable shopping bag. According to Penn State University, Americans use around 10 billion (that's billion with a B) plastic shopping bags each year. This is the equivalent of cutting down 14 million trees per year. Be part of the solution on both ends by reducing the use of plastic bags AND planting trees at the same time with the Unus munduS tote bag.

TURN DOWN THE HEAT

4. Turn down your thermostat by a degree or two. There are numerous benefits to this, such as reducing your carbon footprint by reducing the energy needed to heat your room, saving you money on energy costs, and there are multiple studies that show sleeping in a cooler room has health benefits and leads to a better night of sleep. 

PLANT TREES!
5. Plant trees to offset your carbon usage - nobody will ever be completely carbon neutral on their own. We all emit carbon by living, breathing, and eating on our planet earth. One easy way you can offset your carbon usage is by planting trees through a purchase with Unus munduS!

This is a win win as it not only helps the environment by offsetting carbon, but the trees are planted by those in need of employment through our tree planting partner, Eden Reforestation Projects.

Although little actions might not seem like they are making much of a difference, little actions compound and can create massive, positive change - especially when everybody does their part. Keep spreading the word and thank you for being part of the Unus munduS family! 

Have other ways you are offsetting your carbon output or helping the environment in general? We'd love to hear about it! Please email us at support@unusmundus.com or head over to our Contact Us page to fill out a form with your message and get in touch. 

It can be tough to know what type of impact companies you buy from have on the earth and on people. Here are 3 easy ways you can tell a company is holding themselves to higher standards and working towards a better world for everyone. 

B-Corp Certified 

At its core, a B Corp certification means that a company is striving to "do no harm and benefit all"

B Corp Certification doesn’t just evaluate a product or service; it assesses the overall positive impact of the company that stands behind it - increasingly what people care about most.

Certified B Corporations achieve a minimum verified score on the B Impact Assessment—a rigorous assessment of a company’s impact on its workers, customers, community, and environment—and make their B Impact Report transparent on bcorporation.net. Certified B Corporations also amend their legal governing documents to require their board of directors to balance profit and purpose.

The combination of third-party validation, public transparency, and legal accountability help Certified B Corps build trust and value. B Corp Certification is administered by the non-profit B Lab.

You can learn more about the B Corp movement and how companies become certified here.

Fair Trade Certified

Most massive corporations drive down their prices by taking advantage of the most vulnerable people in their supply chain - the front line producers/farmers in 3rd world countries. The fact that companies like Apple and Nike have suicide nets around their factories overseas is one of the main reasons we founded Unus munduS. 

If a company becomes Fair Trade certified it means that their products were sourced responsibly and ethically. Our bag manufacturer, Purnaa, is Fair Trade Certified and hires marginalized locals in Nepal to manufacture their products. All of their employees have safe, clean working conditions and are paid a fair wage. They take it one step further, and ensure that everybody they source material from has the same standards. 

You can learn more about the Fair Trade movement and how companies get certified here. 

1% FOR THE PLANET

1% For the Planet members have given back more than $265 million to the environment to date. Very simply, businesses that are members of 1% For the Planet pledge to donate 1% of their gross sales to environmental non profits. 1% For the Planet acts as an advisor, certifying the partnership between a member and the environmental non profit(s) they wish to partner with. Companies can choose from a large list of non-profits that help with issues in areas such as climate, food, pollution, water, and wildlife. 

Individuals can also become members of 1% For the Planet by pledging to donate 1% of their gross annual salary/income.

If you see any company that is 1% For the Planet certified you can be assured that 1% of your purchase is going to a good cause. 

Thank you for wanting to make the world a better place - we're honored to be on this journey with you. Have any topics you'd like to learn more about? Give us a suggestion on our Contact Us page.