The trees are being planted during National Tree Week – the annual celebration of trees, which marks the start of the planting season that runs from November to March each year.

Boosting tree-planting in the UK is part of the water retailer’s commitment to the environment, alongside other action they’re taking to help reduce water waste, running costs and cut the amount of carbon emissions.

The tree-planting this week builds on an existing initiative to plant thousands of trees across Stoke-on-Trent.

Cllr Carl Edwards, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Trees play a vital role in the city to provide habitat for biodiversity, help reduce flooding, stabilise land and offset carbon. They are also vital in allowing residents of Stoke-on-Trent to make the best use of outdoor spaces around the City. We are incredibly pleased that Water Plus is supporting tree-planting, making a difference to communities and increasing green spaces, along with all the environmental benefits from these.”

Water Plus, who is also highlighting how looking at water can help organisations go Net Zero and has its main office in Stoke-on-Trent, is supporting the tree project, which sees 50 fruit trees being planted at the Fenpark Hilltop allotment site in Fenton, and other locations in the city.

Water Plus staff Karl Mansfield, Customer Awareness Advocate and Krystel Gibson, a Key Account Manager with Water Plus who works with the council, joined Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Faisal Hussain and allotments champion, Cllr Lesley Adams at the allotment site to place the first trees, which include plum, cherry, apple and pear trees.

Krystel Gibson, from Water Plus, said: “As we’re committed to making sustainability and minimising our environmental impact core to our business, our people and our customers, we’re taking action – including increasing tree-planting in Staffordshire and the UK. From helping sites install water reduction approaches and extra tracking, to highlighting how water efficiency helps organisations and Net Zero aims, plus peatland restoration in the UK to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released – and trialling technology to use water more effectively, we’ll continue taking action as part of our Commitment to the Environment.”

The water retailer received an international Green Apple Environment Award, National Silver, this month for its work in three main areas including: helping identify water waste at organisations, raising awareness across sectors and advising on water-saving technology and increasing partnerships with community groups to reduce environmental impacts, along with supporting tree planting.

A number of the fruit trees have been planted in Fenton, ahead of the storm that struck the UK in November 2021, and in time to mark the celebrations of trees this week. More will go in when ground conditions (and temperatures) are suitable across a number of sites in Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is also working with the Woodland Trust to plant over 11,000 trees around the city as part of the Big Climate Fightback.

• More information about tree-planting Water Plus is supporting through its partnerships, and other steps the company is taking to help organisations and reduce impacts on the environment, is available at: water-plus.co.uk/news-and-events/news. More on steps organisations can take to reduce water waste, reduce future running costs and lower Greenhouse Gas emissions under Scopes 1, 2 and 3, can be found at: www.water-plus.co.uk/sustainability

• More information about tree-planting by Stoke-on-Trent City Council is available at: stoke.gov.uk/bigclimatefightback.

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2021/11/30/uks-largest-water-retailer-grows-its-tree-planting-as-they-team-up-with-city-council/