SuperValu and Centra, part of the Musgrave Group, have today launched their sustainability campaigns with the announcement that the retail brands will plant 50,000 trees in Northern Ireland by 2032.
The initiative will see the convenience retailers partner with Trees on the Land – a charity and not-for-profit project from the Green Economy Foundation – to sponsor the planting of 5,000 native trees in 13 locations across Northern Ireland this year, and a further 5,000 in 2023.
To further support the initiative, colleagues from SuperValu and Centra stores will be pulling on their wellies and volunteering to help plant the trees (Covid-19 permitting).
Desi Derby, Director of Marketing for SuperValu and Centra in Northern Ireland, said:
“This is a very exciting community initiative for us, and we are thrilled to partner with Trees on the Land. We know from talking to our customers that environmental issues are important to them and at SuperValu and Centra, we care about and believe in sustainability, and have already made significant changes to become a more sustainable business.
“We are committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which we operate and being able to facilitate the planting of this number of native trees will have many positive long-term effects, including absorbing carbon dioxide, improving air quality, improving soils and enhancing biodiversity.”
Imogen Rabone, Project Co-ordinator and Founder of Trees on the Land, added:
“We are delighted to partner with SuperValu and Centra for our tree planting scheme. Thanks to their support we can enable community groups, schools, smallholders, and farmers to plant 10,000 native trees across Northern Ireland over the next two years. These trees will create habitat for wildlife, soak up carbon and provide many other useful ecosystem services for many generations to come.”
A commitment to planting 50,000 trees is one in a list of steps being taken by SuperValu and Centra to make their stores and communities more sustainable, and each month, the brands will spotlight the tangible steps they are taking to become more sustainable, while encouraging shoppers to play their part.
“We all have a responsibility to care for the environment and we believe small changes can make a big impact. Together with our customers, we can build a more sustainable future by helping to look after the planet we all share,” Desi said.