Member Article

Wins flow in as Water Plus appeals for tree-planting site suggestions as it marks its fifth year

An appeal for locations where trees can be planted is underway after a partnership between the charity Trees for Cities and Water Plus to increase tree-planting in the UK.

The water retailer is appealing for suggestions for tree-planting sites, in Staffordshire, where its main offices are based - and elsewhere across England and Scotland. The team-up with Trees for Cities will see hundreds of trees planted which, amongst other benefits, will help improve air quality by capturing CO2, as well as contribute to managing surface water run-off in the UK, which can cause more flooding.

Water Plus is also marking contract wins, increases in orders - and its move to a new office location this year. It’s won contracts with a major paint manufacturer and supplier with more than 30 sites, one of the largest waste management providers in the UK, with more than 200 sites, and a leading national healthcare specialist, with all these being signed since May.

Its new office site, it moved to this year in the Riverside Park complex in Stoke-on-Trent, has electric car charging and units that create drinking water from the air, that are being trialled by the water retailer as it explores technology that saves water, to help organisations. It’s all part of the businesses’ further development and growth - along with action it’s taking for its Commitment to the Environment. Plus, the offices have recycling capture points on each floor and are zero waste to landfill.

Rory Field, Partnerships Director at Trees for Cities, said: “It’s brilliant to partner with Water Plus as they raise the profile of actions organisations – and all of us - can take to give a boost to the environment all around us. Tree planting is a critical part of helping meet the challenges of Climate Change with the amazing thing being they reduce air pollution, increase bio-diversity, manage and reduce excess surface water and flooding – as well as even cool the air.”

Suggestions for tree sites can be made through social media for a business location, community group, farmer, or other organisation in areas that see high levels of rainfall each year - and say how trees would benefit their area.

These can be made on comments on Water Plus social media posts on the partnership and tree-planting, or in private messages, using the hashtag #NominateforTrees . The water retailer will review all suggestions made with Trees for Cities and will work with the charity around plans for where any trees, as part of the new partnership, may be planted.

Andy Hughes, Chief Executive of water retailer Water Plus, said: “At Water Plus, we’re committed to making sustainability and minimising our environmental impact core to our business, our people and our customers. From helping sites install water reduction approaches and extra tracking, to highlighting how water efficiency helps organisations aiming for Net Zero - and beyond, plus increasing tree-planting in the UK and trialling innovative technology to cut water volumes and help towards sustainability goals, we’re taking action.”

The company has seen an increase in data logger orders this year, which it installs on water meters to help organisations with multiple sites including universities, councils and hospital trusts, manufacturers, retailers and distributors. These provide updates through a smart online portal, so organisations can see how water use changes over 24 hours on a site and spot opportunities and issues early.

More than 400 data loggers have been installed already since the start of January this year, all in place in the space of just 6 months - with more data loggers ordered too. The work this year, follows more than 500 installed in the 12 months of the 2019 to 2020 financial year – with more than 1,500 installed since the start of January 2019 by Water Plus.

Trees for Cities are the only UK charity working at a national and international scale to improve lives by planting trees in cities.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Karl Mansfield .