The Arbor Day Foundation Partners With Williams-Sonoma, Inc. to Plant 6 Million Trees by End of 2023

Apr 19, 2022 8:00 AM ET
The Arbor Day Foundation's 50th anniversary logo

LINCOLN, Neb., April 19, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The Arbor Day Foundation and Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s home-furnishing brands are partnering to plant 6 million trees by the end of 2023, doubling the 3 million tree goal set by their brand Pottery Barn in 2021. To achieve this, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will plant one tree for every piece of indoor wood furniture* that is purchased from one of their participating brands.

In 2022, the partnership will plant trees in various U.S. and international forests of greatest need. These reforestation projects will provide critical recovery efforts to lands that have been devastated by natural disasters – hurricanes and fires – and man-made disruptions like deforestation.

“It is truly inspiring to work with such an environmentally devoted partner like Williams-Sonoma, Inc.,” said Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “This ambitious planting goal sets us up to create lasting impact in some of the most vital and vulnerable ecosystems. Our partnership will serve as a model of resilience in our united fight to help solve some of the planets most pressing issues through trees.”

Since launching in January 2021, the one-for-one tree program – originally run solely through Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s Pottery Barn brand – has already planted over 1.5 million trees worldwide. The partnership’s expanded commitment now includes Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Rejuvenation, and Williams Sonoma Home. Additionally, the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. family of brands will be accepting donations on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation throughout April 2022 in honour of Earth Day and every dollar raised will plant trees.

“Our teams are dedicated to improving the quality of life at home for our customers,” said Laura Alber, President and CEO of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “We are proud of the progress Pottery Barn has made by planting over 1.5 million trees to date. By including all of our home-furnishings brands in our tree planting program, we are creating additional opportunities for our company and our customers to make a difference.”

For the past 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant nearly 500 million trees around the world. Through a vast network of partnerships, the Foundation facilitates projects that empower organizations of all sizes to reach their environmental and sustainability goals via measurable, impactful work.

The trees for the updated global reforestation effort will be planted in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington, as well as international forests in Australia, Canada, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. In 2021, the partnership also planted trees in India and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil.

The contribution of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s 6 million trees will also be counted toward 1t.org’s mission to conserve, restore and grow one trillion trees by 2030. To learn more about their efforts, please visit: https://www.1t.org/pledges/6-million-trees-to-restore-protect-our-forests

*Indoor wood furniture containing at least 80% of wood; upholstery furniture is excluded.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, almost 500 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival.

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

About Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer. The company’s products, representing distinct merchandise strategies — Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Williams Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham — are marketed through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs and retail stores. These brands are also part of The Key Rewards, our free-to-join loyalty program that offers members exclusive benefits across the Williams-Sonoma family of brands. We operate in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, offer international shipping to customers worldwide, and have unaffiliated franchisees that operate stores in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea and India, as well as e-commerce websites in certain locations. We are also proud to lead the industry with our ESG efforts. Our company is Good By Design — we’ve deeply engrained sustainability into our business. From our factories to your home, we’re united in a shared purpose to care for our people and our planet.

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