What is Earth Day?
Happy Earth Day! Every year since 1970, on April 22, global citizens join forces to celebrate our wonderful Green Planet and highlight the importance of environmental sustainability. Today, Earth Day is widely recognised as the largest secular observance in the world, marked by more than a billion people.
"Earth Day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. Through various events, toolkits, and initiatives, we aim to raise awareness, inspire change, and foster a deeper connection with nature. Let's unite in our efforts to protect the Earth today and for generations to come. Together, we can make a meaningful impact and create a more sustainable world." Earthday.org
In 2024, the focus of Earth Day is Planet vs. Plastics - with a call to action we should all stand behind - demanding a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040.
'But how?' you might ask, and a fair question it is too. Sometimes the climate crisis seems so overwhelming that taking action can be a daunting prospect - and with massive corporations making billions in profit by exploiting the planet's resources - it's no wonder people often feel their individual efforts are futile. So what can we do?
As consumers, we DO have the power to make our voices heard through our purchasing choices - by being ever more discerning about what we buy and who we shop with. And as businesses, we can work to reduce our environmental impact by improving our supply chains, the materials we use, and the way we ship our products. EarthDay.org have put together a fantastic Toolkit that gives some brilliant inspiration and practical ideas you can think about - there are so many small actions we can take, that add up to a huge collective impact.
How Tentsile Invests in Our Planet
Zero single use plastics in Tentsile products
In our opinion, there is no rhyme or reason for ANY company or individual to use single use plastics. Ever. Something that is useful for a very limited amount of time, that takes many hundreds of years to degrade (and even then, just ends up as micro-plastics in our water and soil) - is unacceptable. If a product can't be made without using them then stop making it, we say. At Tentsile we have eradicated all single use plastics from our products and supply chain - from switching to paper packing tape, to making fabric bags for our accessories in place of plastic wrapping - we are dedicated to making sure our impact is minimised at every step of the production process.
Tree Planting
The very foundation of our brand is built upon Tree Planting. From the outset, we have pledged to protect global forests from deforestation with every Tree Tent we sold. Over the past decade we have worked with a number of tree planting partners to rejuvenate and replenish deforested areas, whilst assisting communities to move away from destructive practices such as logging and slash and burn, by offering viable alternative sources of income and food security. For every Tree Tent and Hammock that you purchase, we plant 20 trees - and have proudly planted over 1 Million trees so far in regions across Kenya, Madagascar, India, Nepal, and the United States.
Want to plant a Tree yourself? Check out this guide that gives you all the pointers you need!
1% For The Planet
Each year we donate 1% of our Revenue to 1% For the Planet, all of which goes towards supporting conservation projects around the world. We are very proud partners of this climate positive initiative, which brings brands together - large or small - to create a coalition of environmentally minded folk who together make big things happen.
European Outdoor Conservation Association
There are currently over 150 members of this environmental association, of which we are proudly one. Membership is open to any company operating in the Outdoors sector, whether they are a manufacturer, supplier, service provider or retailer. One hundred per cent of membership fees go directly into the projects that are nominated by and voted for by the members themselves.
Carbon Conscious shipping
We choose to ship our gear by sea freight, as it is 100x less polluting than shipping by Air. It may be slower, and means that we sometimes run out of stock, but we would rather lose out on a sale here and there than pollute our planet!
Say No to Fast Fashion
"Behind every piece of clothing in a store, there is an industry stripping the Earth of its limited resources and exploiting the labor force that works in its garment factories. Tremendous waste characterizes this industry as it depletes healthy soil, contaminates fresh water sources, pollutes the air we breathe, defiles our oceans, destroys forests and damages eco-systems and the health of their biodiversity." - EarthDay.org
That's why we've partnered up with TeeMill to offer a range of sustainably made clothing. We use renewable energy, recycled materials, GOTS certified organic cotton and plastic-free packaging in the production of any of our Apparel range.
As you can see - we take sustainability very seriously, and we know our customers do too. Let's keep practising what we preach, walking the walk, and putting pressure on the powers that be to strive for planet positive solutions. We can do it, together.
