Social and ecological responsibility are important to us at Washo. We are certified as a climate-neutral company, which means that we offset all of our CO2 emissions. But that's not enough for us: with Washo, we want to make a conscious contribution to the future of the world.
That's why we plant a tree with the non-profit environmental organization Tree-Nation for every pack of Washo sold. So far, we have already planted over 15,000 trees - in just 4.5 months. Together, the trees offset 1700 tons of CO2 emissions. Just imagine: To produce this amount of carbon dioxide, you could fly from Zurich to New York and back 850 times.
This is precisely why trees are enormously valuable for the planet. They fulfill an important function in the fight against climate change. But that's not all, trees are one of the pillars that humans need for their existence in many respects.
Washo engages with Tree-Nation
Washo works with Tree-Nation to plant trees. When a customer buys a pack of Washo, they receive an e-mail from Tree-Nation. On their website, customers can look under Washo's profile to see what type of tree has been planted and what the surrounding area looks like. Commenting is also possible: When the mangrove for our customer A. R. was planted, she wrote: "Many thanks for the tree. May it grow long and strong!"
The non-profit organization Tree-Nation was founded in 2006. It all started with a single project in Niger, one of the driest and poorest countries in the world. In the meantime, Tree-Nation has already planted well over 10 million trees, offsetting almost 1.5 billion CO2. By comparison, Switzerland emitted CO2 emissions amounting to 36.85 million tons in 2019. Almost 7000 companies and over 300,000 citizens have taken part since it was founded 15 years ago.
How trees benefit us
Mental health and the basis of life
Dive in and relax - forest bathing has long been practised in Japan. It has been proven that trees have a positive effect on us. While the forest is a recreational area for us, for many people in developing countries it is their livelihood. It provides food, drinking water and work equipment.
Water
Water means life, without water nothing would work. This is particularly true for the world's largest cities: around a third of metropolitan areas such as New York depend on protected forest areas for their drinking water. Trees are also extremely important for preventing flooding: When rain falls, it is filtered by the roots of the trees and thus slowed down. The water can gradually be absorbed by the soil.
Luft
Estimates say that an area of around 4000 square meters planted with trees produces the oxygen required by twelve people for a year. At the same time, the trees absorb harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and ozone.
The best place to lie on a hot day is under a tree. This is because trees shed water droplets from their leaves, which evaporate and thus cool the surroundings.
Tiere
Trees are not only of great importance to humans, they also provide a home and food for wildlife. Only six percent of the world's surface is covered by rainforest, but more than half of all animal and plant species live in it. The loss of a self-contained tropical rainforest would lead to the extinction of 100 species every day. Not only mammals are in danger, but also insects, which are so important for pollination, like to live in trees.
Earth
The tsunami in 2004 showed it: Areas with intact mangroves were significantly less destroyed. Trees literally hold the soil together and protect it from erosion.
Tree photo created by wirestock - www.freepik.com