Our tree planting projects

The UK plans 20 trees for the Queen's Green Canopy

The Queen’s Green Canopy is creating a living legacy with the aim to plant over a million trees in Her Majesty’s name across the nation. 

igus® UK recently planted twenty oak trees (Quercus Robur) at Salthouse Country Park in Northampton. This is within walking distance of the igus® UK facility, which will allow us to watch these trees grow over the years.  To ensure we did this correctly, we worked with local contractors Idverde, who supplied the trees for us. The oak trees came from a certified nursery with OHAS grower standard accreditation and were grown in the UK, which again was really important to us.

The 20 trees were planted along a walkway to create an oak corridor through the centre of the park and the leaves will turn igus® orange in Autumn.

igus Indonesia donates 800 mangrove tree seedlings in Mayangan

November 2023 | igus Indonesia has planted mangrove trees on the coast of Pondok Bali Beach in Mayangan, Legonkulon district. A total of 800 tree seedlings were brought to Vogelinsel to be planted there. The planting campaign was accompanied by employees of igus Indonesia and went smoothly. The campaign serves to protect against deforestation, absorb carbon dioxide and preserve water and air quality.

igus China plants 8,220 trees in Yanling and revitalises barren landscape

November 2023 | To further reduce CO2 emissions and get closer to our goal of CO2 neutrality, we actively support tree planting projects around the world. For example, igus China launched a new project in Yanling County with a ground-breaking ceremony at the end of November: all kinds of large and small trees are being planted on more than 100 hectares of barren mountains to revitalise the landscape. A total of 8,220 trees will be planted here by the end of January 2024.

Reforestation in Borneo

October 2023 | For two years now, igus Malaysia and igus Singapore have been planting trees on behalf of their customers. During this time, over 150 trees were planted for urban reforestation in Singapore and the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, helping to restore and reconnect forest corridors for wildlife. 

The tree planting initiative partner is APE Malaysia, a non-profit organisation that works to protect orangutans and their habitat in the Borneo rainforest. Under the name ROAR (Restore Our Amazing Rainforest), APE Malaysia works closely with local communities, which are directly involved in the measures, planting and caring for the seedlings. The program thus contributes to improving their living conditions as well.

5,000 trees in Lindlar

August 2023 | This year, we are once again supporting the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (German Forest Protection Association), which is just around the corner. In March 2023, sessile oaks and beeches, wild cherries, winter lime trees, and Turkish hazels were planted in Lindlar; 100 wild apple trees and 350 various shrub varieties were planted at the edge of the forest, for a total of 5,000 plants. As is usual in the Rhineland, there are several small areas that are part of a forestry association and are managed by the state forestry administration. On site in August, we were delighted to see how well the plants, such as the Turkish hazel, relatively unknown in Germany, were doing. In autumn, there will be pruning so that ferns and brambles that have grown quickly in the recent wet weather do not overwhelm the young plants.

igus China plants 20,300 trees in 5 stages

February 2023 | At igus China, the topics sustainability and climate protection are an integral part of the corporate philosophy. Thus, our Chinese subsidiary completed a large tree-planting project in Maotang Town, Lianyuan City. From mid-November 2022 to early January 2023, a total of 20,300 trees were planted in five stages. The project has now been approved by city employees, and we are all looking forward to strengthening forestry in the region. 

Update forest test laboratory Brandenburg

February 2023 | The main planting of the seedlings on the research area between Berlin and Frankfurt Oder started with a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony at the end of 2022. On an agricultural area of 100,000m², a forest of 40 different tree species is being created. Climate-stable German tree species are combined with trees from drier regions to find out which species can best adapt to climate change. Climate forester Jan Borchert from PLANTED proudly told us about the progress of the project. Together with him and everyone involved, we are excited to see what the area will look like when the first trees sprout in spring.  

10,000 trees by the end of the year in the US

January 2023 | The igus subsidiary in the US has entered into a partnership with the National Forest Foundation and their "50 million for our forests" project. NFF supports restoration and community engagement in national forests across the US. Due to the partnership with NFF, igus has agreed to plant 10,000 trees by the end of 2023. This is part of the company's commitment to reduce its own environmental impact. 

Supporting climate-optimised forest management in Switzerland

October 2022 | igus Switzerland made a sustainable contribution to voluntary climate protection in October, and supported the regional forest management project "Bucheggberg" with a donation. This project implements measures in the areas of climate-optimised forest management and biodiversity. In concrete terms, the use of wood is optimised, i.e. more tree biomass is left in the forest, and resistant trees such as oak are selected for new plantings, which can also cope with higher temperatures and drought. With this contribution, 15 tons of CO₂ are compensated, which corresponds to the planting of approx. 1,200 trees.

90 coniferous and deciduous trees planted in Austria

October 2022 | Wald4Leben is the name of the organisation that reforests woodland areas in the northern part of Lower Austria in the midst of organically managed agricultural land. Its goal: climate protection for everyone. Supporting reforestation projects is made easy here. Our branch in Austria has chosen Wald4Leben as the platform to make its contribution to active climate protection. 90 coniferous and deciduous trees will be planted in the Ziernreith project area over the course of the year.

200 trees planted in Indonesia

September 2022 | After some delays due to the impact of COVID19, the colleagues from Indonesia were finally able to plant 200 trees in mid-September as planned for some time. The planting took place in West Java and was carried out by igus employees and the West Java Conservation Trust Fund under the direction of WANANDRI (Mountain and Jungle Protection). What is special about this tree donation is that it also creates jobs for the villagers: starting with the raising of suitable seedlings to helping with the proper planting and the further care of the trees until they are three years old.

Agricultural land becomes forest test laboratory

September 2022 | A consortium of the company PLANTED, the Eberswalde University of Applied Sciences and a cooperative from Brandenburg is transforming a 100,000 square metre area of arable land between Berlin and Frankfurt Oder into a forest test laboratory. Several 10,000 trees from 40 different species will be planted, proven climate-stable German trees combined with those from drier regions of the world. The objective is to find out which tree species can optimally adapt to climate change and where symbioses of the species arise. In September, the first row sections were planted and a few black walnut seedlings were planted for testing. The main plantings take place in October and November. We are supporting the lighthouse project with 5,000 trees and are looking forward to updates. 

3,000 trees in two campaigns in Poland

September 2022 | Our branch in Poland is committed to restoring forests in various regions of Poland. One thousand trees were planted in the name of igus as early as spring 2022. In autumn 2022, 2,000 more trees will be added, namely pines, birches, oaks, rowan and hornbeam. The tree planting campaigns are coordinated and carried out by the company Posadzimy. The special thing here is that a user-friendly system makes it very easy to plant trees with just a click. Suitable land, permits and planting are all taken care of here. This makes it even easier to do good. 

The planting project in Lindlar is thriving

September 2022 | At the end of 2021, we reforested an area of almost 10,000 square meters together with the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (German Forest Protection Association) and the municipality of Lindlar. In addition to copper beeches and oaks, the future forest edges in particular were planted with guelder roses, hawthorn, sloe and black elderberry. Despite the extremely hot and, above all, dry summer, the plantation looks good and most trees are thriving. To keep it that way, the trees will be pruned this autumn, so that blackberries and ferns do not overgrow the young trees.

200 trees for the new forest in Thailand

August 2022 | As part of its social commitment programme, igus Thailand has laid the foundation for a new forest in Sirindhorn International Environmental Park, Phetchaburi: 200 trees were planted on 20th August. The colleagues also received certificates for their planted trees, and enjoyed a day spent together outdoors.
 

Planting 500 trees in Mexico/Amanalco

July 2022 | Our South American branch in Mexico combined the useful with the pleasant: an hour and a half from the office, in the Amanalco municipality, a team of eight employees worked with 12 people from the municipality to plant 500 trees. They turned it into a team event with refreshments, lunch, and a themed shirt and enjoyed time together in nature, away from their desks. It was the second planting campaign that igus Mexico has carried out. 
 

1,000 trees for reforestation project in Canada

May 2022 | igus Canada has teamed up with Trees Canada to plant 1,000 trees in Ontario's Cataraqui Conservation along the St. Lawrence River as part of the National Greening Program. A total of 30,000 trees will be planted as part of the reforestation project. The aim is to reforest the area in 2022, reduce soil erosion and restore treetops.   

Planting day in Spain/Valdecans

May 2022 | The colleagues from the Spanish igus subsidiary have carried out a planting campaign in Valdecans in the province of Barcelona. Together with the Sèlvans association and in collaboration with Volterra Ecosystems and the municipality of Valdecans, a professional planting day took place in the Parc de la Marina. Two Swiss pine trees and 298 aromatic herbs of rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme and oregano were planted. In addition, the existing drip irrigation lines were revised.  

Tree donation for the Cologne Kalk Stadtgarten

April 2022 | Working with the Kölner Grün Stiftung, we planted nine young trees in the Kalk district of Cologne. The Old Kalk Cemetery stopped serving as a cemetery and has now been redesigned as a park for local recreation. About 50 gravestones, a war memorial, and an enclosing wall remain from the original cemetery. Paths were laid out and benches installed. The new trees now line one of these paths. 
 

1,000 seedlings planted in Brazil

March 2022 | igus Brazil has received a certificate recognising it as a forest-friendly company. This is because it donated 1,000 saplings of native trees that will sequester 140 tons of CO₂. The seedlings were planted by the Brazilian Forest Institute (Instituto Brasileiro de Florestas) in the municipality of Martinópolis in the São Paulo district. Following planting, the organisation will now monitor and maintain the area for the next two years to ensure that the seedlings remain healthy until they are fully developed.

igus promotes the preservation of old fruit varieties in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

January 2022 | Obstarche Reddelich in the Rostock district is an association dedicated to preserving old fruit varieties. From 2015 to 2021, 800 young fruit trees were planted in a meadow orchard as part of the fruit nature trail in Reddelich, Germany. Caring for them and harvesting their fruit requires lots of effort and money. That is why we are not planting these trees ourselves, but supporting the association financially in 2022. The money will be used to buy collars to protect the young stems from mice and mowing; black locust wood stakes for storm-proof tying; mowing string; gasoline to mow the areas around the stems; and compost and fertilizer for healthy growth.

200 trees and a research project in Belgium

The colleagues from the Belgian branch joined the project of the Royal Belgian Forestry Society and planted 200 trees for the reforestation of a 1.2 hectare area in Vaux sur Sûre. The spruces that used to stand in this area did not survive the bark beetle infestation and were replaced by three larch species (Larix decidua, Larix kaempferi and Larix eurolepis), beech (Fagus sylvitica) and red oak (Quercus rubra). They also support the research project "Trees for the Future". This project aims to open up the "field of possibilities" by studying forest species and places of origin that can help forests adapt to climate change.

First planting campaign in France

December 2021 | Our French colleagues are also committed to more green and to CO2 neutrality. For each online order worth more than 400 euros, igus France donates a tree for French reforestation. The first tree-planting campaign started last winter, organised by Ecotree, a provider committed to sustainable forestry in France: 250 young trees of the Thuja and Corsican pine varieties will now enrich the Luthenay and Gourin forests. More planting campaigns in France are being planned for 2022.

New mixed forest in Bergisch Gladbach

December 2021 | The city of Bergisch Gladbach is planting almost 2,400 trees along with us. A new, climate-stable mixed forest will grow particularly in Herrenstrunden, where the bark beetle has caused extensive damage. The already growing young sycamore trees will be joined by service trees and winter­ lime trees, which have so far only rarely been found in Bergisches Land. They are ideally adapted to the site and will be an important food source for bees and other insects thanks to their high nectar­ supply.

In addition, at various locations in the Bergisch Gladbach municipal area, the existing forest is being made fit for the future by underplanting.

5,000 trees for the Lindlar community forest

December 2021 | Together with the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald (German Forest Protection Association), a total of 5,000 new trees will be planted on an area of 9,632 m² between Schwarzenbachstrasse and the cycle path. Planting will occur in the spring of 2022.

120 new mangrove trees in Thailand

20th November 2021 | "igus igreen - grow together": according to this motto, twelve of our Thai colleagues set off to a park in Phetchaburi to dive waist-deep into the water and plant mangroves. By the end of the day, 120 young trees were planted and will hopefully continue to grow for a long time. The population of mangrove forests has been decimated significantly in the last decades, which is an immense loss for people and nature. The trees are not only one of the largest carbon stores in the tropics. They are also home to a wide variety of species and are nurseries for fish, crabs, birds and mammals. They are also fundamental for coastal protection as a natural barrier against erosion and flooding. With reforestation projects, the aim now is to try and make up for the loss.

New spruce and oak trees for the municipality of Kranj in Slovenia

19th November 2021 | Near the Slovenian town of Kranj, where our dealer partner Hennlich is based, there is a forest that was partially destroyed by a storm two years ago. The colleagues from Hennlich went and reforested an area called Sorško polje. Under the supervision of the forester, the task was to prepare seedlings for planting, dig planting pits and set stakes to protect the young trees. 200 new spruce and oak trees will now grow and help protect the groundwater and prevent soil erosion of the surrounding fields. Another dozen seedlings have found a place to grow along a road at the eastern entrance to Kranj. Hennlich donated around a quarter of the trees to this year's participants in the manus competition in Slovenia, who will become tree sponsors.

Tree donation with ecological and social impact

November 2021 | igus Italy planted a total of 700 fruit trees in cooperation with the ZeroCO2 organisation. 200 of them will grow in Italy and 500 in El Petén in north-western Guatemala, a region particularly affected by deforestation and poverty. The donation here has not only an ecological effect but also a social one because the fruit trees donated go to disadvantaged farming families. They also receive long-term support and training on how to use environmentally sound management concepts to secure good harvests whilst restoring the soil and protecting the environment.

2,200 trees for the experimental forest in Taiwan

October 2021 | Our team at igus Taiwan recently donated 2,200 trees to the National University of Taiwan's Research and Experimental Forest. 1,100 Zelkova and 1,100 incense cedars were planted in a total area of 1.5 hectares in Lugu, a town where the university maintains one of its experimental forests. The experimental forests cover about 1% of Taiwan's island and contain five different climate zones. A small group of our colleagues (a larger group was not permitted) was on site and helped plant the trees. You can watch scenes of the campaign in this video.

New trees for a greener Singapore

Summer 2021 | Planting over one million new trees in the next 10 years - that's the goal of the OneMillionTrees campaign by NParks. This is a government organisation working to increase biodiversity in Singapore's urban landscape. Over 8 million trees are expected to eventually grow in Singapores streets, gardens, parks and nature reserves.
The team at igus Singapore wants to be part of this campaign and starts with a donation of twelve trees.

Reforestation in Toluca - igus Mexico joins in

July 2021 | Our colleagues from igus Mexico were part of a reforestation campaign in Sierra Morelos (Toluca). The park is only a few kilometres away from the igus office - a good opportunity to roll up your sleeves and lend a hand. A total of 500 trees were planted, 100 of them by our colleagues and their relatives. 
The park is planning more initiatives soon, including ensuring the necessary work so that the trees can grow healthily. The igus Team Mexico will be there!

igus at the Arbor Day 2021 in Rhode Island

April 2021 | Since the end of the 19th century, Arbor Day has been the official American holiday for trees. Every year on the last Friday in April, people celebrate and honour the importance of trees.

The holiday also has a long tradition in Rhode Island. The official celebrations always include a tree-planting event in addition to a programme of speeches and awards. This year was no exception: 15 new evergreen trees will thrive and provide shade in North Hull Street Park. This time igus was involved as a sponsor of the event and was rewarded with an honorary plaque. 

New trees for the Elazig region in Turkey

March 2021 | igus Turkey aimed to give its customers and business partners a total of 1,000 trees in 2021. They will all receive a certificate with the details of the tree planted on behalf of their company. The first 290 seedlings were planted in March in a reforestation project in the Elazig region. "Thank you for the sensitive and well-planned campaign", "Excellent campaign, thanks and congratulations", "Thank you for the great campaign and the sensitive attitude towards the environment", are just a few of the many positive reactions we received after handing over the certificates.

The mixed forest near Leukersdorf is growing and thriving

Autumn 2020 | Slowly but steadily, the new forest in Leukersdorf in the Ore Mountains of Saxony is growing. A year and a half after planting the tree seedlings, it now looks like the one in the picture.

3,000 new trees in Mahabalipuram, India

Summer 2020 | Together with Sankalp Taru Foundation, we started a planting project to create more biodiversity, more soil resilience and a stable water table in the Mahabalipuram region.

There are 3,000 saplings planted on 2 hectares of land - a total of 14 different species, including healing, fruit-bearing and shade-­giving plants. Over the next 35 years, they will be able to produce approx 15,120 tons of oxygen, bind 2,520 tons of CO₂ and filter 7,255,080,000 litres of water. Careful monitoring and maintenance of the plant locations ensures that over 95% of the seedlings survive.

Second tree-planting campaigns in Saxony

Spring 2020 | A year after the planting campaign near Leukersdorf, another mixed forest is being created in the Ore Mountains. This time about 60 km further east near the spa town of Seiffen. The trees donated by igus are native to the location, such as copper beech, English oak, sycamore and winter lime. On an area of 0.7 hectares, they will bind around 350 tons of CO₂ over the next 50 years, and create new habitats for numerous animal species and recreational space for people.

New mixed forest near Leukersdorf in the Erzgebirge

Spring 2019 | Together with two school classes we planted a new mixed forest near the village of Leukersdorf, not far from Chemnitz. Now growing on an area of 0.65 hectares are 2,500 trees donated by igus, which include various native species such as oak, winter lime, red alder and larch. They will absorb around 325 tons of CO₂ over the next 50 years.

In addition to protecting the atmosphere, the forest will in future provide new habitats for birds and insects and make an important contribution to flood protection.