Sustainable Corporate Gifts: 7 reasons to gift trees with Grow My Tree

Hello tree friends,

It's November, the first pack of speculoos has already been eaten, and Christmas is approaching. And with that, as every year, the question arises on what to gift to customers and employees of a company. How about choosing something truly sustainable rather than the typical chocolates, coffee cups, or shower gel sets? According to Business Gift Satisfaction Survey more than 70% of corporate gift recipients report having experienced negative feelings at least once when receiving a gift from a business partner or employer, the major reason being: ‘Not much thought was put into the gift’.

Corporate gifts fall into two categories: those given to clients and those given to employees. Both types of corporate gifts can be extremely beneficial to a business. In order to improve employee engagement or reduce staff turnover, sustainable corporate gift packages are just one of many strategies you can implement in your business. Similarly, providing corporate gift packages should be a key component of your strategy if you want to strengthen relationships with current or prospective clients or help your business stand out from the competition.

Whether it is for company events, Christmas and new year gifts,work anniversaries, or employee appreciation, incorporating tree-planting is something that businesses should think carefully about.  

Here are seven reasons why gifting trees can be advantageous for any size of business:

1: Affordable

 Whether you are looking for a sustainable corporate gift choice for your next event or as a holiday corporate gift to show appreciation, trees are the best option. A single tree can be as affordable as a cup of coffee and the most sustainable option to include in comparison to other gifts. It also fits for bulk gifts, which makes it easy to give out to a large group of people at once. With Grow My Tree, you can even gift digital tree planting certificates which are an eco-friendly option or choose to give out premium cards with envelopes.  

2: Bring remote teams together

Fortunately, there are ways to unite your remote team in a meaningful way while still allowing them to work remotely. Trees can be the gifts that spark positive conversations and bring your team together. The Business Gift Satisfaction Survey shows that almost 77% of employees say business gifts make them feel connected and appreciated as a team. 

With Grow My Tree, you can gift a tree bundle to every new hire on your team as an onboarding gift, performance reward or for career milestones.

3: Reinforce company values & improve brand image

Corporate gifts are a great way to show appreciation and gratitude to your employees, clients and partners. Tree gifts also help you reinforce your company values and improve your brand image.

There are many ways to make corporate gifts more sustainable. You can use recycled materials or choose eco-friendly products that have less of an impact on the environment. You can also choose products that have a low carbon footprint or use renewable energy sources. According to the Business Gift Satisfaction Survey , over 80% of C-suite executives believe that business gifts generate measurable positive ROI in addition to intangible benefits and agree that “gifts humanize business”. Gifting trees not only acts as a means to show your appreciation towards your management and employees, but it also reinforces company values and also improves your brand image and it pays for itself two folds. 

4: Sustainable gifting helps reach UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDG’s)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals that were established in 2015 by the UN General Assembly. These goals are designed to foster global development and improve the lives of people all over the world.

Achieving these goals will require a lot of innovation and creativity, which is why businesses should take part in this process and find ways to contribute. One way to do this is by implementing sustainable corporate gifts into business practices. The SDGs are a great way for companies to align their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts with their business objectives. Companies can also use them as a way to attract new customers and employees.

Gifting trees not only brings your team together towards a valuable goal but also an addition to your work towards fulfilling SDG’s. 

5: Reduce Packaging Waste

The world is facing a huge environmental crisis. The problem is that we are using too much of the earth's natural resources and not taking into account the consequences.

Corporate gift wrapping is one of the sources of waste because there is usually some form of paper or plastic packaging. Companies have started taking measures to reduce their waste as it is not only bad for the environment but also bad for their bottom line. Companies have reduced their waste by giving away sustainable corporate gifts like reusable water bottles and sustainably sourced commodities which still require some kind of sustainable packing. Gifting trees not only reduces packaging waste but also cuts down the logistics involved with other products.

6: Socio-Economic Benefits

The benefits of trees are not just limited to the environment. Planting trees also have a positive impact on economies and societies. The socio-economic benefits of these trees are immense. In addition to environmental benefits, they also create jobs in the form of planting and maintenance of trees and act as a secondary source of income for locals. Trees also contribute to a greener environment by reducing carbon emissions which are essential in tackling climate change.

For Example, Grow My Tree supports Projects in Tanzania, where one of our partner organizations brings education in sustainability and environmental protection to the youngest children; in addition, they are committed to the long-term protection of the Usambara Mountains and have founded the Cultural Heritage Centre to also make foreign visitors aware of the importance of cultural protection.

7: Trees last a lifetime

A tree is a gift that keeps on giving, and it is also a gift that will last a lifetime. It can provide so many benefits to our environment, like a shelter for birds and other animals, it can help mitigate the effects of climate change, reduce air pollution and restore whole ecosystems. In one of his interviews, Martin Luther King was asked what he would do if the world were to end tomorrow, and he answered, “I would plant an apple tree today”. The message here, from my perspective, is that care of creation begins and ends with you and me. 

Trees are one of the most sustainable gifts you can give because they last a lifetime and are an important lever that help reduce climate change. At the same time, it empowers the local populationto use their own resources sustainably and thus build a new model of global collaboration. Cultural traditions and needs of local communities are strictly taken into account. Only native tree species will be planted to protect the local flora and fauna.

In sum: Trees are the best positive impact gift one can think of for the upcoming season. 

Including trees in your sustainable corporate gift not only acts as a means to show your appreciation towards your management and employees, but it also reinforces company values and improves your brand image and it pays for itself two folds. The benefits of trees are not limited to the environmental, but also to the socio-economic. 

With Grow My Tree you can choose from a wide range of solutions such as planting a Company Forest, Personalised Bulk Certificates, Premium Cards with Envelopes and Tree Gift Codes. Visit the gift shop to explore the most sustainable gift options and pick the best one based on your requirements; whether you need 10 or 1000 gifts, we have customisable gift options for everyone. 

From trees with love,

Grow My Tree