Ten years ago, three friends had the desire and ambition to make the world a greener place. They imagined creating a business that would give to the earth more than it took, and empower people to make a difference in the world. Fast forward to now, and what started as just an idea has grown into the company you know today as tentree — a one-of-a-kind, Earth-First brand leading the charge in sustainable fashion and making an impact every day through planting trees.
From screen printing t-shirts to making our own from recycled and organic materials, we’ve come a long way since our community helped us plant that first tree ten years ago. But all we’ve done since then wouldn’t be possible if it hadn’t started with one key ingredient: you. In the last ten years you’ve helped us:
- Plant approximately 70 million trees
- Create roughly 4.5 million hours of work in our planting communities
- Restore around 14,600 ha of forest
- Sequester nearly 6.7 million tons of carbon dioxide
And we’re only just getting started. There’s still a lot of work to be done and trees to be planted (930 million, give or take), but before we get back to changing the world, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Join us as we reminisce on some of our most memorable moments and celebrate with our limited edition anniversary collection.
Featured: Men’s Ten Year T-Shirt, Women’s Ten Year T-Shirt, and the Ten Year Peak Hat.
2012
We officially got our start.
- It all started with an idea; on a trip to Hawaii in 2011, our founders Kalen Emsley and David Luba got inspired to start a clothing brand that would give back to the earth. After getting Kalen’s brother Derrick on board as CEO, our company officially took root in 2012.
2013
We made the switch to sustainable materials and fibres.
- When we first got things up and running, we did all of our printing on store-bought t-shirts. While this method worked, we knew we wanted to make more of an impact by creating clothing that was just as sustainable as our planting practices. Today, not only do we have a lot more to offer than just t-shirts, but we make every product from the most sustainable materials and fibres out there. From TENCEL™ to recycled polyester to organic cotton and hemp, we pride ourselves in finding the best and most eco-progressive solutions for your clothing.
We appeared on Dragon’s Den.
- Did anyone catch our first TV appearance? Back in March of 2013, David, Kalen, and Derrick appeared on an episode of Dragon’s Den — a TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to high-profile venture capitalists to secure funding. We ended up being a major hit. Not only did we secure the funding we needed, but we got nominated as one of the top “Game-Changing” pitches of that season.
2014
We reached 1 million trees planted.
- After just two years, in partnership with some amazing international non-profit organizations, we reached 1 million trees planted on March 27, 2014. This was a huge milestone — and reaffirmed that our community believed in our vision as much as we did.
We introduced our tree registry program.
- With our tree planting efforts picking up steam, 2014 also marked the year we launched our tree registry program. This allowed our customers to track the trees they had planted and feel more connected to their positive impact on the planet.
Featured: The Ten Year Peak Hat.
2016
We became a certified B Corporation
- With a mission to show how an Earth-First company should operate, it was a big deal when we became B Corp Certified in 2016. The gold standard for good sustainable business, a B Corp brand must achieve a score of at least 80 points to be certified. And after months of hard work, we scored in at over 124.
2019
Our Earth Day post became one of the most liked posts on Instagram.
- We can’t forget the year we went viral. In 2019, we kicked off our Earth Month campaign, hoping to create the most sustainable Instagram post. We teamed up with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant a tree for every 10 likes we received on our Instagram post. Within days, we quickly surpassed our goal of 500,000 trees planted and ended up getting ranked as one of Instagram’s top 10 most liked posts of all time. With this new title, we set a new goal of planting 1 million trees if the post reached 20 million likes. (It’s currently sitting around 15,368,240 likes, so we still have a ways to go).
2020
While it took us a minute to adjust to virtual meetings and nailing our WFH looks, 2020 quickly turned into a year of major growth. We pushed our limits and showed how serious we were when it came to sustainable practices that put our earth first.
We launched our Climate+ program.
- In 2020, we launched our Climate+ program, where brands and change-makers could pledge to do better for the planet, which lead to the creation of our Climate+ packages for our customers. You can purchase Climate+ packages that plant trees to offset your daily pleasures like extra-steamy showers, avocado toast, and weekend getaways.
We reached 50 million trees planted.
- And just like that, 1 million trees planted turned into 50 million. And we couldn’t have done it without you. Literally.
We became Certified Climate Neutral.
- With our B Corp certification under our belt, joining the Climate Neutral community was next on our to-do list. The process was a months-long effort to measure, offset, and reduce our carbon footprint. We were already neutralizing carbon by planting trees, but we needed to take it one step further by ensuring we were doing our part to prevent climate change with this important certification.
We joined the Responsible Packaging Movement.
- This year, we also pledged to make our packaging even more sustainable than it already was. We committed to eliminating single-use plastics, using only FSC certified and 100% recycled paper for tags and packaging inserts, and using 100% recyclable shipping mailers that are biodegradable.
Featured: The Men’s Ten Year T-Shirt and the Women’s Ten Year T-Shirt.
2021
We gained momentum in 2020 and kept our pedal to the metal as we headed into 2021.
We launched some of our most sustainable collections to date
- From activewear to underwear to the most sustainable outerwear line, we didn’t miss a beat when it came to creating Earth-first essentials that were as good for the planet as they were for your wardrobe.
We launched our Impact Wallet.
- We brought you closer to the impact you make each time you plant ten trees by launching a new interactive portal called the Impact Wallet. With your own virtual forest that grows over time, you can now see where in the world your trees are planted and learn about the communities you’re uplifting.
We launched veritree.
- veritree is the technology that powers our tree planting here at tentree, and last year we made 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 were named Best For the World in Community for 2021.
- And finally, to top it all off, we were named Best For the World in Community, a title given every year to the top-performing B Corps, creating the greatest impact through their business.
What a decade. We can’t believe how far we’ve come and are inspired by the work that lies ahead of us. We’re dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to make our products more circular and will continue to show up as an honest, sustainable brand you can trust to put the planet first.
We’re on a mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2030, and we’re confident we’ll get there with your help. Thanks for walking down memory lane with us, and here’s to creating a greener future together. Be sure to check out our limited edition anniversary collection that commemorates our tenth anniversary — and of course, plants some trees.
