Plant it Forward

About the Plant it Forward initiative

Holmen's Plant it Forward initiative gives individuals an opportunity to plant a tree and help regenerate a forest. Planting a tree in your name is free. Just sign up below to receive your Certificate of Care and then watch your seedling grow!

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Sweden has a long history of foresting. It has also been practicing circularity ever since 1903 when the Swedish Forestry Act made it mandatory for companies and private landowners to replant forests after harvesting. For Swedish company Iggesund, replanting trees has always been a natural part of the business.

“The important thing for us as a company is that all forests harvested for our products are regenerated in a circular process,” says Johan Granås, sustainability communication manager. As part of the Holmen Group, Iggesund sources its raw material from the Holmen Skog (Forest) subsidiary. “In Holmen Skog’s nursery we have about 35 million seedlings a year in order to replant what we harvest.”

Iggesund is wholly committed to mitigating climate change by sourcing raw materials from sustainably managed forests and operating manufacturing processes in a responsible way. With the Plant it Forward initiative, it is giving individuals an opportunity to experience forest regeneration first hand by planting a tree in their name. The tree can then be monitored via a web camera or by visiting it in person.

“We hope that Plant it Forward can help raise awareness of what sustainable forestry is, along with forest certification,” says Granås. “On a global scale, forest certification is a lifesaver for our forests so it is important to buy certified products.”

Iggesund’s products are forest certified, which shows compliance with the highest social and environmental standards on the market. But while certification is growing, 90 per cent of the world’s forests remain uncertified.

The Plant it Forward initiative, which has been underway for the past few years, has been very well received, says Granås. “There’s a certain feeling that comes from putting a tree in the ground and realising that it will be here for some 100 years and then be harvested to build a home or wooden products that will be used by someone in the future.”