Sustainable tree planting campaign in Hamburg

Numerous employees and family members of a. hartrodt Hamburg planted seedlings on November 1, 2021 in a campaign organized by the Logistics Initiative Hamburg (LIHH). "As an international freight forwarder, the sustainable use of resources is an important goal for us, to which we are committed in many local individual projects," explains Michaela Neubauer, Manager Sales Germany at a. hartrodt in Hamburg. The campaign took place in the 513-hectare Kloevensteen recreation and landscape conservation area in the west of Hamburg on the border with Schleswig-Holstein. There, mixed forest improves air quality and contributes to biodiversity.

Important contribution to supply of drinking water

Hamburg's drinking water is obtained from groundwater – and trees significantly improve its quality. In 446 wells in the city area, Hamburg's waterworks extract groundwater from depths of 20 to 429 meters. According to LIHH figures, each planted deciduous tree promotes the formation of 200 liters of groundwater each year. "We have thus made an important contribution to the drinking water supply," emphasizes Neubauer.

Team spirit, motivation, networking

Under the guidance of experienced helpers from the Kloevensteen district forestry office, at least 15 young deciduous trees were planted per person. The a. hartrodt team, which normally works on the phone and computer, enthusiastically dug in the soil. The volunteering in the fresh air produced several positive effects at the same time: "This planting action strengthened our team spirit and our motivation for more environmental protection. Networking with other LIHH members was also a big part of the experience," says Neubauer. The certificate of the planted trees and the compensated water gets a nice place in the company headquarters of a. hartrodt.

In 2020, a. hartrodt started to have one tree planted per employee every year for climate protection worldwide. "Our partner Eden Reforestation Projects has reforestation projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America," Neubauer reports. Worldwide, a. hartrodt has committed itself to the careful use of natural resources and, on request, can offer customers alternative transport solutions with lower CO₂ emissions.