The power of a tree

Have you ever asked yourself what can a tree do?

• It combats climate change: it absorbs CO2 and releases oxygen. Think that an acre of trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 that you produce if you drove your car 26,000 miles;
• It cleans the air and provides oxygen: in one year an acre of trees can provide oxygen for 18 people;
• It conserves energy: if you plant trees in a strategic position in the garden of your home, you reduce the demand for energy required to cool your home. The same story is for the streets of the city;
• It saves water: its shade slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns. 
• It protects skin from ultra-violet rays: skin cancer is the most common cancer due to ultra-violet rays. Trees reduce UV-B exposure by about 50%;
• It creates work opportunities: trees provide more than 86 million green jobs;
• It provides habitat for wildlife: oak and sycamore provide habitat for animals;
• It increases business traffic: studies show that the more trees a business district has, the more business will flow in. A tree-lined street slow traffic. 

According to FAO, forests cover 31% of the global land area.

The total forest area is 4.06 billion hectares, but it is not equally distributed around the world.

93% of the world's forest area is made up of naturally regenerating forests, which regenerate without human intervention. Only 7% of trees have been planted by man.

Besides, the increase in deforestation reduces the number of trees. Since 1990, 420 million hectares of forest have been lost by conversion land to other use.

But deforestation persists. Agriculture expansion is the main problem associated with the loss of forest biodiversity.

The biggest transformational change is needed in the way in which we produce and consume food. We should avoid wasting food and an insane diet. 

However, there is something positive. In Africa and South America, trees are planted in large quantities. In Europe and Italy, the rate of deforestation is falling.

Reforestation is also a duty for companies.

For example, UP2YOU is a start-up founded in Milan in 2019. It is targeted at accommodation facilities such as hotels, B&Bs, which care about the protection and preservation of the environment.

Hoteliers must embrace change: eliminate plastic, separate waste, have energy efficiency, and even 0km products.

When the guest arrives at the room, he will find a mini-guide explaining the sustainable behaviors to follow.

If customers decide not to have their room cleaned, they participate in reducing the environmental impact. The service staff will then leave a card with which they can plant a tree for one of their deforestation projects.  

We are late in reaching the goal of halting deforestation, but we can reverse these negative trends.

BOTTA Packaging cares a lot about the health of trees and tries day after day to combat waste.