And that’s a wrap! In what felt like the blink of an eye, we’re waving goodbye to 2021 and stepping boldly into 2022. While 2021 was a touch more ‘precedented’ than 2020, we’re admittedly still finding our footing as we continue to ride the waves of a global pandemic and steady ourselves on a planet that stands at the edge of change.
Looking back at the challenges…
An overwhelming amount of good things came our way this year, but first, we wanted to acknowledge some of the challenges we all faced together. Because let’s be honest — things got a little heavy when it came to the state of our planet. But don’t worry, this won’t all be doom and gloom.
This year brought more change and uncertainty as communities suffered in the wake of global wildfires and other intense natural disasters. These hardships only echoed the findings released in one of the most important climate reports to date. The sixth IPCC report forced us to face the difficult truth that humans have, without doubt, changed our earth’s climate. Through neglecting to protect our natural world, temperatures are rapidly rising. We risk not only losing precious resources, habitats, and wildlife but are threatened by the dangerous climatic events these temperature rises are predicted to bring.
…And celebrating the wins.
It’s undeniable that we felt afraid and discouraged at times, but we also felt hope as we witnessed our community and other movements around the world rising up to protect our planet. It was hard to hear that some of the damage could not be undone, but this year showed us that a sustainable future is still within our grasp if we have the determination and courage to fight for it. We know that all our sustainable actions matter more now than ever, no matter how small.
So let’s start the new year off on a positive note and inspire our most sustainable one yet, by looking back on a year full of accomplishments and exciting change. And, of course, we reveal how many trees we planted together this year. *Cue confetti cannons* Here’s our greatest hits from 2021.
We advocated for climate action from the fashion industry.
Addressing our planet’s rising temperature was a hot topic (literally) this year and the main focus of conversation at COP26, an important global climate summit that took place in Glasgow this fall. As world leaders gathered, we joined in, participating in discussions regarding sustainability in the fashion industry.
Despite our best efforts as a sustainable brand, there needs to be a shift in the fashion industry as a whole, as it continues to be one of the worst offenders when it comes to climate change. At COP26, we showed our support for important initiatives like the UN Climate Change Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action and the We Mean Business Coalition for Net-Zero Targets that demand more sustainable solutions in our industry.
Check out all the initiatives we were a part of at COP26.
We joined global movements to protect our planet.
Beyond COP26, we kept the momentum rolling with our sustainability commitments by joining two important global movements working to restore and protect our natural world. We joined The Trillion Tree Movement, solidifying our pledge to plant one billion trees by 2030, and became an official actor in The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Planting trees is what we do best, and we can’t wait to share our knowledge and make a difference as we support these movements in the years to come.
We launched a Nature-based technology solution.
Speaking of planting trees — while we joined these global movements to protect our planet, we also took matters into our own hands (and put them into yours) with the launch of our very own Nature-based technology solution called veritree.
veritree is the technology that powers our tree planting here at tentree, and we wanted to make it accessible to everyone. Now other businesses can plant trees, sequester carbon, drive collective positive impact and do a whole heck of a lot of good for the planet, just like we do.
We partnered with brands that care as much about the environment as we do.
This year we had some epic collaborations with partners that are serious about taking steps to create a more positive future for our planet.
We joined forces with National Geographic for an iconic collection inspired by our forever-muse: the tree. Every design in this collection was drawn by hand and inspired by iconic photography sourced from the National Geographic archives.
Featured: Men’s National Geographic Logo Hoodie
We welcomed back our good friend, the Lorax, who popped in with the friendly reminder that big change starts small, and together, we can have a big impact on this planet we all call home.
Featured: Women’s Lorax T-Shirt and Men’s Lorax Take Care Crew
We also called on our pal Smokey Bear to help spread the word on wildfire prevention and how you can keep our forests safe.
Featured: Men’s Smokey Campfire Hoodie
These collections were beautifully designed, sustainably made, supported important organizations working to protect our planet, and last but certainly not least, planted ten trees for every item purchased.
We introduced more sustainable clothing lines for our conscious consumers.
In addition to all these memorable collabs, we were hard at work behind the scenes pushing ourselves to create some of the most sustainable collections to date. We like to think that hard work paid off for both you and the planet.
First off, we brought you The Goods — the comfiest and most sustainable underwear on the market. Made using pre-and post-consumer cotton scrap, we created underwear that feels amazing and reduces the amount of waste ending up in landfills.
Featured: Men’s Boxer Brief, Women’s Everday Bra and Everyday Bikini Brief
With your underwear covered, it only made sense that your outerwear should be a sustainable match. One of the biggest collection highlights was the launch of our most sustainable outerwear line. Unique and one-of-a-kind in their sustainable designs and style, we worked to bring you jackets made from compostable or 99% recycled materials. From vegan insulation to environmentally sound waterproofing — we didn’t miss a beat.
Featured: Women’s Cloud Shell Packable Puffer and Men’s Cloud Shell Packable Puffer
With the success of these sustainably forward lines, the bar for next year is high, but we’re ready for the challenge.
We planted A LOT of trees.
As we come to the end of this post, what better way to conclude than by celebrating the good we all achieved together. Despite the curveballs this year threw at us, you’ve made a massive impact that will last for generations to come through the trees you’ve planted. We couldn’t do what we do without your support and commitment to creating a better world.
So to you, we say thank you for the…
15,988,730 trees we planted this year.
You are a shining example that big change starts small. Although you might not always feel it, the little changes you continue to make really do add up. We have some big plans up our sleeve for 2022, and we know that we can’t do it without you.
From our team here at tentree, we wish you all the best for the year ahead and look forward to seeing the change we’ll create together.
As you head into the new year, learn the key to making sustainable resolutions that will add up to real change for you and the planet in 2022.
