U-Haul Customer Donations to Tree Canada Eclipse $300,000

PHOENIX (March 14, 2017) — U-Haul is pleased to announce it has surpassed $300,000 in customer contributions to Tree Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to planting trees in Canada.

Since 1945, U-Haul has been committed to conducting business in a socially responsible manner to protect the environment. This commitment is reflected in providing customers the option of contributing to Tree Canada’s Grow Clean Air Program to offset their carbon emissions at the time of moving equipment rental.

More than 140,000 customers at U-Haul locations across Canada have contributed approximately $305,000 since the partnership began in December 2011, helping to plant 38,031 trees to date. These trees will absorb nearly 42,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide through their lives, providing cleaner air to breathe. Every cent of contributions collected go to Tree Canada for the planting and care of native trees, which will provide habitats for wildlife and preserve natural ecosystems.

“The partnership and alignment of values between Tree Canada and U-Haul Canada are strong indicators of our commitment to the Canadian citizens,” said Jake Spelic, U-Haul Area District Vice President based in Ontario. “An optional donation to Tree Canada at checkout offers our customers an opportunity to offset their self-move carbon footprint and give back in the form of tree planting, forest restoration and protection of existing trees from devastating pests through immunizations. Overwhelmingly, our customers get this and embrace the opportunity.”

The first planting for the U-Haul-Tree Canada partnership occurred October 2014 with 5,000 seedlings in Sudbury. In 2015, U-Haul customer contributions provided 20,000 trees to reforest Kamloops in an area severely devastated by mountain pine beetles and wildfires. Thanks to U-Haul customers, Tree Canada has protected and/or repopulated the tree supply in Peterborough (2015), Coquitlam (2016), Calgary (2016) and Niagara Falls (2016).

This spring, U-Haul customer contributions will help sponsor Tree Canada’s #OperationReLeaf Fort McMurray to reforest the areas ravaged by the fires in 2016.

“Being a responsible corporate citizen in Canada is our Company’s mandate,” said Jennifer Anstett, U-Haul Area District Vice President based in British Columbia. “We have helped to plant trees in a variety of locations to support local communities and reforest areas so future generations may enjoy them. I am truly looking forward to our new initiative in which we will plant trees in Fort McMurray. The most recent fires devastated the community and the forests surrounding it.”

Michael Rosen, President of Tree Canada, noted that he is extremely pleased to be partnering with U-Haul for the Grow Clean Air program.

“U-Haul has clearly demonstrated its commitment to improving the environment while continuing to provide excellent service to its customers,” Rosen said. “We look forward to continue working with U-Haul on all their future greening initiatives.”

Learn more about what U-Haul is doing in your community by visiting myuhaulstory.com.

About U-Haul

U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: “Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel-efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material and packing peanuts that are 100 percent biodegradable. Learn more about these facts and others at uhaul.com/sustainability.

About Tree Canada

Tree Canada is a non-profit charity dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians by planting and nurturing trees. Since 1992, we’ve planted more than 80 million trees, greened more than 550 schoolyards, helped restore places hit by natural disasters and brought together urban forestry experts greening cities all across Canada. Get involved or learn more about us at treecanada.ca.

Contact:

Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com