Oct 3, 2022

Royal Van Zanten Plants Forest in Uganda and South Africa

In September 2022, Royal Van Zanten employees planted a thousand trees in Uganda and South Africa. The campaign, “A tree for every employee,” is one of the ways Royal Van Zanten is putting its sustainability program into action. Planting trees contributes to improving the carbon footprint and helps restore and rebuild nature and the environment.

Royal Van Zanten’s sustainability program was put together by the company’s employees. To make their passion their legacy, employees are taking responsibility and putting it into action. The program is based on the employees’ vision: we care, so we act. Improving the carbon footprint and restoring damage done to nature and the environment are at the foundation of this.

“We planted a tree for every employee in Uganda and my colleagues in South Africa did the same,” says Jamanda Bwambale of Royal Van Zanten Uganda. “That will grow into a total of up to 2 hectares of new forest in Uganda at our locations in Mukono and Wakiso.”

More than 700 colleagues in Uganda and 50 in South Africa have planted 20 different native and local trees that provide shelter and food for the native fauna. The coordination and tree selection was done together with the company Chloroplast, which is affiliated with the National Forestry Authority for Uganda.

At Royal Van Zanten, passion is important, and it is part of the company’s mission: to pass on the passion. That is also the main motivator for the sustainability program — in order to keep passing it on, we must take care of each other and the planet. Royal Van Zanten is constantly looking for opportunities to keep improving in this.

The total list of trees planted:
Maesopsis eminii (Umbrella tree), Cordia Africana (Sudan teak), Neem, Mahogany, Prunus africana (African cherry), Warburgia ugandensis (Ugandan greenheart), Afzelia africana (African mahogany), Tectona grandis (Teak), Gmelina arborea, Terminalia superba (Limba), Bathedavia, Markhamia lutea
(Nile tulip), Entandrophragma utile, Nagomola, Mango, Jackfruit, Avocado, Guave, Soursop, Jambula tree.