Through the process of setting down their own, new roots, U-Haul customers have been given the chance to help the environment.
Since April of 2007, U-Haul has developed a partnership with The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program. Through charitable contributions from its customers, U-Haul has donated more than $1 million to the program.
After each in-town and out-of-town move, U-Haul customers have been encouraged to donate money in order to offset the carbon emissions created by their relocation. Since the partnership began, over 287,000 U-Haul customers have opted to donate in the name of ecological charity.
“The support and generosity from U-Haul and its customers for this program is unprecedented,” Jena Meredith, director of the Go Zero program, said.
Funds donated by U-Haul’s customers have helped The Conservation Fund plant 133,000 trees in two national wildlife refuges – Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in Kansas and Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.
The program makes use of a carbon-collecting process called carbon sequestration, where carbon dioxide is collected by trees and converted into oxygen. Over 100 years about one ton of carbon dioxide is sequestered for every tree planted.
As they grow, the trees planted through the help of U-Haul and its customers are expected to trap 156,000 tons of carbon dioxide. As a result the habitats at both refuges will improve, as will their air and water quality.
“By leveraging our human, technical, financial and business resources, U-Haul and our customers have made a real difference in protecting the environment and mitigating our greenhouse gas emissions,” John “J.T.” Taylor, president of U-Haul International Inc., said.
Along with buying and planting trees, the Go Zero program uses donated funds to procure lands for wildlife refuges and national and state parks. More information about donating to the program can be found at The Conservation Fund’s website.
