If you feel you could do more to cut down on your energy consumption, and if you want to invest in the latest energy-efficient appliances and gadgets, we’ve got one small idea that we hope will make a difference.

That’s why Delta Partners will plant a tree for every single order we receive, large or small, and supply you with a certificate confirming when and where the tree has been planted.

Unquestionably, planting trees is great news for the environment although it is impossible to completely quantify the extent to which trees and as woodlands collectively impact on our daily lives as we depend on them for so many things; from clean air to breathe to good soil to grow crops.

Planting trees is highly recognised as a positive eco-action. Trees use energy from the sun to fuel photosynthesis, which converts water and C02 absorbed from the atmosphere into carbohydrates that are used by the tree for nutrients. The by-product of photosynthesis is oxygen, which is released by trees into the atmosphere, so by absorbing CO2, trees rid the environment of an excess pollutant and in return, they give us oxygen to breathe.

This is a superb initiative that Delta Partners are delighted to support and we hope to continue planting as many trees as possible throughout the UK and worldwide.

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What’s the problem?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It’s estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.

The world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted, so as population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations?

Some of the greatest threats to future resources come from things we throw away everyday. Office batteries and electronics often contain dangerous chemicals that may, if sent to a local landfill, leak through the bottom barrier and pollute the groundwater. This can contaminate everything from the soil in which our food grows, to the water which will eventually come out of aquifers and into our tap water. Many of these chemicals cannot be removed from the drinking water supply, or from the crops that are harvested from contaminated fields. The risks to human health are tremendous.

Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved by recycling.

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Did you know...

• For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
• You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminium can.
• By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a “landfull”, taxpayers have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit.

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What are we doing?

We consider ourselves to be one of the UK's most conscientious providers of voice services and applications, which is why we recognise the need to try and set an example to the industry.

At Delta Partners we take our responsibilities very seriously and are totally committed to not just being an efficient low cost operator, but also one of the greenest, by recognising that we all could be doing something a little extra to help the environment.

Delta Partners have committed to plant one tree for every single new order we receive. This is a fantastic initiative and Delta Partners are delighted to continuing planting as many trees as possible worldwide.

In addition to our tree planting scheme, here are just a few more of the initiatives Delta Partners has made to reduce carbon footprint:

From 01 September 2008, Delta Partners Electronic Invoicing policy means that we will no longer produce paper invoices for our customers; instead invoices will be available online only, through the Delta Partners Web Portal, making a huge saving of printed pages every month.

Delta Partners have adopted a plant a tree policy for every new order received. Each new order received, regardless to size or value, will have at least one new tree planted and authenticated with a bespoke certificate.

Good internal practices including substantial use of web conferencing. Our product launches, for example, typically attract a large number of existing and new customers and by using web conferencing we are able to deliver our proposition in one hit, thus avoiding a significant amount of travel for both our staff and our customers.

Significant use of audio conferencing. Delta Partners staff use a huge amount of audio conferencing minutes a year, saving 10’s of thousands of miles of travel per year.

Use of recycled paper on all printed collateral and stationery.

Switch off and recycle.

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Further information

Did you know a single tree will absorb approx 730kg of CO2 over its lifetime

Tree planting in the UK

In the UK only 12% of our land is wooded, compared with an average of 32% in each European country. It’s essential we retain wooded areas to help reduce pollution, generate oxygen, maintain wildlife habitats and improve quality of life.

The important factors when considering any tree planting project are, additionally - would the trees you pay for have been planted anyway? And sustainability-once planted are the trees going to be looked after and survive long enough to deliver their benefit?

Trees as Carbon Offsets

Trees store CO2 during their long life. Allowed to die off naturally, the tree will decompose and release methane back into the atmosphere. However the act of tree planting is extremely positive as a starter for individuals becoming generally aware of the climate change issue. Tree planting is also extremely beneficial to the local environment, raising the bio-diversity index and providing habitats for many different species of the flora and fauna.

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Tree Facts

• One person causes about 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide to be emitted a year. One tree removes about 3/4 of a tonne of CO2 over its lifetime.
• By cooling the air and ground around them, the shade from trees helps cool the earth's temperature.
• A single mature beech tree can produce enough oxygen for 10 people in a year.
• Trees renew our air supply by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
• Shade trees can make buildings up to 20 degrees cooler in the summer.
• Trees lower air temperature by evaporating water in their leaves.
• Tree roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
• Trees improve water quality by slowing and filtering rain water, as well as protecting aquifers and watersheds.
• Over one given year; one hectare of mature woodland will absorb the carbon emissions of 100 average family cars.
• It is estimated that the average person in the UK consumes the equivalent of 12 trees a year. This present rate of world consumption is unsustainable and yet trees are vital to our life on earth.

The value of trees

It is impossible to completely quantify the extent to which trees and as woodlands collectively impact on our daily lives as we depend on them for so many things from clean air to breath to good soil to grow crops. This sometimes leads to taking their role at the hub of sustaining life for granted, particularly in news stories that forget this bigger picture.

In isolation each mature individual tree in the UK is producing more than enough oxygen and sinking enough carbon for each individual’s respiratory requirements in the UK. However there are not enough trees for business and consumer needs, in fact the current biomass of UK forests only sink around 1% of fossil fuel CO2 emissions.

In the UK, deforestation happened many thousands of years ago and yet we have continued to squander the relatively good (in European terms) remaining remnants of Ancient woodlands. 45% of this key resource has been lost since the mid 20th century.

Deforestation globally continues unabated particularly in the 3rd world. Over a dozen countries are reducing their forest cover by at least 2% a year. 2% per year translates into a loss of one-half of the woodland area in only 35 years, 3%/year the half-life is 23 years, and at 4%/year it is 18 years.

Deforestation produces around 1/3rd of the CO2 produced by fossil fuels each year. The UK is well placed to plant well managed new woodlands that can be safeguarded for generations to come using current legislation.

Each tree planted is worth approx. £85,000 over 50 years in providing clean air, oxygen, water and mitigating soil erosion. There are no current value per tree as hosts for crop pollinators, CO2 sinks and landscape temperature regulators and health and leisure providers.

Ancient Woodland remnants are a key component to a healthy diversity of life that supports clean air, clean water, clean soil and healthy, pollinated crops through a myriad of mutually beneficial or symbiotic relationships. The majority of ancient woodlands are below a sustainable size of 50ha. Planting trees next to these sites at least doubles the potential of the new trees.

Oxygen & carbon dioxide facts

• An average metre tall tree will absorb 4.5 to 5kg of carbon dioxide a year. A tree can absorb as much as 21.8kg of carbon dioxide a year and sequester 1 tonne of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old. Britain has more ancient oaks remaining than any other country in Western Europe.
  Quoted from:- www.forestsofclearedemotions.co.uk
• One large tree can provide a days supply of oxygen for up to 4 people.
  Quoted from:- www.forestsofclearedemotions.co.uk
• The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
  Quoted from:- www.tree-nation.com
• In the course of a year one average person produces 704 pounds of carbon dioxide. Quoted from:- www.faithscience.org
• An adult man takes into his system from the atmosphere, in one year, no less than 746 pounds weight of oxygen; the calculations of ‘Menzies’ make the quantity amount even more to 837 pounds.
  Quoted from:- www.ul.ie
• Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have risen to levels which are unprecedented in the recent geological history of the earth. The current level is about 360ppmv compared to a pre-industrial level estimated to be about 280ppmv. Quoted from:- www.sd-commission.org.uk
• The current UK forest biomass carbon sink is 2 MtC/yr . This amount of carbon being sequestered by trees in forests is about 1% of fossil fuel emissions.
  Quoted from:- www.sd-commission.org.uk
• In 50 years one tree recycles more than $37,000 (£19,000) worth of water, provides $31,000 (£16,000) worth of erosion control, $62,000 (£31,400) worth of air pollution control, and produces $37,000 (£19,000) worth of oxygen.
  Quoted from:- www.tree-nation.com

Trees and their benefits to local wildlife

• The oak supports at least 280 varieties of insect - more than any other tree. Those living in the bark attract birds, such as great-spotted woodpeckers, to feed. Caterpillars of moths and butterflies eat the leaves. After its death, an oak tree continues to support life. More than 200 varieties of fungi live on the decaying wood, which is also eaten by woodlice and other insects.
  Quoted from:- www.icons.org.uk
• Wood ants play a very important role in the ecosystem of the Caledonian Forest. Where ants have been removed by forest practices, many herbivorous insects can reach numbers out of balance with the rest of the ecosystem and so become damaging to forest trees. . Wood ants have a symbiotic relationship with aphids (for example Symydobius oblongus). The aphids are `milked' by the ants who gently stroke them to get them to release droplets of honeydew, a food that is rich in sugars, acids, salts and vitamins. To the aphids this is their waste product as they have to suck a lot of tree sap to get the protein they require. In return for the honeydew the ants protect their precious sugar source from predators and competing sap sucking insects.
  Quoted from:- www.treesforlife.org.uk
• Pollination is a form of symbiosis that can be observed quite easily. Some insects are fairly specific in their choice of plant. Certain bee species have a longer 'tongue' than others, and this affects their choice of flower. The three banded white-tail bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) (a species found in Glen Affric) for example, chooses deeper flowers such as foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). The shorter-tongued bees can only drink nectar from flowers that are not as deep, such as raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and goat willow (Salix caprea).
  Quoted from:- www.treesforlife.org.uk

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