EARTH DAY - 22 APRIL 2025
Earth Day is the biggest global event for environmental protection. It’s a time when brands like us get to share our sustainability stories with our customers who make it possible.
Our Tiny Treehouse homes were born out of the founder, Lars Wijers’ passion for house plants and 3D design. In our origin story, you will find out more about how these magical creations came to life.
From the beginning, we were adamant that we needed to minimise waste in our production processes, packaging and logistics. We were also mindful of manufacturing practices, who was going to make our treehouses, how they would be treating their workers, and the environment around them.
There are no easy ways to get products from A to B without creating a carbon footprint, so we spent some time investigating our options to a) offset our carbon footprint from our sourcing, manufacture and mostly from our shipping.
In 2021 we discovered Greenspark, an organisation that does just this - plant trees to offset carbon, and collect waste, such as plastic bottles, to recycle and reuse.
Today we celebrate your contribution to this project and the impact that is has had.
Our Greenspark statistics are linked live to our website so you can see how we are tracking every day. They also keep a track on their own website with our very own Tiny Treehouse Greenspark page.
Planting Trees and Uplifting Communities
Introduction:
This Earth Day 2025 Tiny Treehouses celebrates 20 months of Earth Positive contributions through Greenspark. For every Treehouse sold, you help contribute 1 Tree to forest restoration projects managed internationally by Greenspark.
At Tiny Treehouses, our dedication to the planet is woven into the very fabric of our creations. We believe in crafting not just with care and precision but with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship. Our journey of sustainability is transparent, responsible, and always evolving.
In this blog post we'll explore some of the top projects you have helped impact through your support for our products.
Why do we care?
The Green Earth movement has been something of a “hot” topic for many years with Climate Change being the key message we are hearing. Widely debated, refuted and challenged, lobbyists and scientists have released statistics that support the view that global warming is negatively impacting the earth, our fauna and flora, but most critically: people. Vital resources, food production and stability and the availability of clean water have long been a problem in some areas, and only getting worse.
In 2015, The 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development identified 17 Goals for its United Nations Member States to focus on to prevent a humanitarian crisis. These goals provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
Our Tiny Treehouse global footprint is there, from our raw material sourcing, to our production and packaging, and then ultimately getting our products to you, so we wanted to do our part to give something back and offset any possible damage we may be part of.
How are Tiny Treehouses Made?
The plywood used in every Tiny Treehouse 3D puzzle model is sourced from sustainably managed forests, ensuring minimal environmental impact. Even the packaging for our intricate light sets reflects our green approach, utilising biodegradable plastic to reduce waste. Our constant focus on choosing sustainable materials means we're taking a step forward in protecting our world for future generations.
Tiny Treehouses are designed in Australia and manufactured at scale through a collaboration with a small, family-run factory offshore. Our small business to small business partnership is rooted in mutual respect, shared values, and a continuous pursuit of excellence to ensure that every product meets our high standards of quality and sustainability.
Leftover components from your Tiny Treehouse build could be recycled in some countries and areas, but this does vary by country, so we encourage you to consult your local recyclers to find out more.
Why Greenspark?
Greenspark is a smart organisation that has simplified the process for small businesses like ours to offset our carbon emissions and impact by seamlessly collecting funds that can be put to use through their range of projects.
They offer us clear and transparent, up-to-date, information on the impact of our efforts which enables us to clearly share these back with you, our customers.
The work we do with Greenspark focuses on these 4 SDG Goals - to end poverty by working with local communities to build sustainable environments from which they and generations to follow can prosper.
- No Poverty
- Decent Work & Economic Growth
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
How do my donations work?
Tiny Treehouses has chosen to focus on 2 of their core areas of focus: planting trees to offset our carbon emissions from the transportation of our goods to you, and the use of paper in our packaging. Whilst the small piece of plastic that comes in the box is biodegradable, we have also chosen to focus on plastic reclamation and recycling to offset any of the plastics used in the courier of our products and the general overuse and waste of plastic across the globe.
What Projects are they focused on?
Uplifting Communities Through Mangrove Restoration
Over the past few decades, Southern Kenya’s coastal regions have experienced rapid urbanisation, leading to the conversion of mangrove forests for alternative land uses. EarthLungs is on a mission to restore critical mangrove ecosystems that promote biodiversity and also provide local communities with fair work and wages.
Mangroves are a haven for birds, fish and other wildlife whilst also protecting coastlines from storms and erosion. So planting trees is not always just in the rainforest, its mangrove trees too.
Transforming Plastic Waste Into Empowering Incomes
Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to our oceans and marine life. The United Nations estimates that every year 8 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in waterways and if we continue to consume and discard single-use plastics at this rate, by 2050 there could be more plastic in our ocean than fish.
Plastic Bank® builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities while simultaneously creating positive economic opportunities for those who helped collect it.
Plastic Bank has helped over 5000 people in Haiti, Brazil, the Philippines, and Indonesia earn a fair, sustainable income by collecting plastic waste.
They use Blockchain Technology developed by IBM to transform plastic waste into digital tokens, which can be safely stored and traded. This secures the transactions and provides real-time data visualisation across the value chain – allowing for transparency, traceability, and rapid scalability.
Restoring Marine Life Through The Seaforestation Of Kelp
Kelp is a type of seaweed belonging to the brown algae family that encompasses a diverse group of underwater plants that thrive in marine environments. Kelp forests provide a vital habitat for many marine organisms, including fish, invertebrates, seaweeds, and algae. Acting as underwater sanctuaries, these forests offer shelter, sustenance, and breeding grounds for various species, thereby fostering the intricate web of life within our oceans.
To ensure the efficacy and accuracy of this kelp restoration project, advanced site technology is employed for monitoring and verification. Geospatial data layers, water quality sensors, and hydro-vision systems enable comprehensive assessment of restoration progress and environmental impact.
Conclusion:
We couldn't be more proud of what we have been able to contribute to these planet changing projects thanks to you, our customers and to Greenspark for facilitating the process.
The Double The Trees Promotion
For the next 30 days - all Tiny Treehouses sold will help plant not just 1 tree per Treehouse, but 2 trees to celebrate Earth Day.
Ends 22 May
