Andersens, an Australian based flooring and interior decor company, is the brand behind 100 000 trees that are now greening the planet. The company was founded in the late 1950s in the town of Gatton in Queensland. “We believe environmental credibility should be assessed like a silent movie. Words matter far less than actions. So, when we were considering how to make a positive change, we leaned on some advice from Socrates; ‘Be as you wish to seem’, or, in more modern speak, ‘Just do it,” Andersens CEO Rowan Hodge commented.
Mr. Hodge said with such a strong core value to act as a guide, the team got busy planting trees under the title of Project Green. Hodge went on to explain that as a franchise business with over 50 stores, each store got involved in spreading the initiative and inviting greater numbers of sponsors to get on board.  Mr. Hodge also pointed out that while the Anderseons franchisees have taken the lead, they are not stopping here, Project Green will continue.

“100,000 trees in the first year represented double our initial goal. In year two, with new stores, and the support of some of our best supply partners, we will strive to double that again!” Andersens Marketing Manager Desmond Omovie commented.
Mr. Omovie explained that Project Green is not only greening the earth at an astounding rate, but also bringing together communities and uniting people of diverse backgrounds as they share a common goal: to save the earth. Increasingly frequent extreme climate events like fires, droughts, storms – even the Glasgow summit this week – all echo the clarion call for environmental leadership. Mr Hodge said that as business leaders in their local communities, Andersens franchisees are answering that call with the Project Green tree planting sponsorship through the United Nations Environment Program and Plant for the Planet.
“The customer reaction to Project Green has been fantastic. Communities like the one we have here in the Lockyer Valley have long prized land and resource management, but today, the public is becoming increasingly aware of man-made climate change. Aussies today increasingly understand the difference between climate and weather: It’s nice and green today, but the locals will tell you it was only six months ago that there was no water in Lake Apex over the road” Mr. Hodge commented “Friday, October 29th made it exactly one year after we sponsored our first tree. On behalf of our extraordinary franchisees, it was with great pride that I welcome our local member, Jim McDonald to join me in planting the 100,000th tree, right here in the Lockyer Valley where Andersens began over 50 years ago.”

Mr. Hodge said that currently, Andersens boasts 52 franchisees that have participated in this project over the course of 12 months in 56 countries and across 12 Australian plantations. Andersen’s future will see them embracing the challenge of sustainability in other areas, including the following:

• Embrace rooftop solar and battery energy at their headquarters
• Embrace rooftop solar for their stores
• Switch to green energy – this project is currently already in its trial stage now
• Optimise their supply chain to reduce packaging, handling, and transport

Hodge said that Andersen’s goal is to achieve carbon zero, and they intend to get there before the 2032 Olympics. Next will be exploring new ways to recycle. Recycling flooring has posed a significant challenge to the industry. Andersens is leading the way here as well, with a trial soon to commence with a local start-up that will gather and shred old flooring to give the product a second life.