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  • The Restaurantware Green Hero Foundation

We are planting 430,259 trees

The Green Hero Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Restaurantware.com, dedicated to advancing sustainability through impactful environmental initiatives. We support organizations like Veritree, which is focused on reforestation, wildlife conservation, and other green projects, ensures that our industry and communities contribute to a healthier planet. By aligning our donations and efforts with the businesses we serve, we strive to drive meaningful, lasting change for a more sustainable future.
120,249Verified trees
310,010Previously funded*

Our Latest Impact Statistics with veritree

Reforestation types

  • Agroforestry

    Agroforestry combines trees, crops, and sometimes animals on the same piece of land to create productive and resilient ecosystems. By mimicking natural forest structures, these systems improve soil health, increase water retention, and diversify income sources for local farmers.

    Examples include shade-grown coffee or fruit trees interplanted with staple crops, creating approaches that strengthen food security while restoring degraded land.

  • Terrestrial

    Terrestrial forests support rich biodiversity, regulate the water cycle, and store carbon in both vegetation and soil. The projects focus on restoring native tree species that reflect each region's unique ecology and needs. Healthy terrestrial forests stabilize soils, provide habitat for wildlife, and strengthen community and climate resilience.

  • Mangroves

    Mangroves are unique coastal forests composed of salt-tolerant tree species that thrive in intertidal zones where land meets sea. They serve as natural infrastructure, buffering against storm surges and coastal erosion, and their extensive root systems stabilize shorelines and trap sediments.

    Mangrove forests are among the planet’s most effective carbon sinks, storing vast amounts of carbon in both biomass and waterlogged soils. These ecosystems also protect communities from coastal erosion, filter pollutants, and support fisheries that many people depend on for food and income.

Projected carbon sequestration from our forest

Hover or tap on the graph to reveal the estimated tonnes of CO2 projected to be sequestered1 over time as the forests grow.

No data related to carbon sequestration found for your orders.

Why we're investing in Nature-Based Solutions

          Sustainability starts at the source. At Restaurantware, we push the
boundaries of product innovation by prioritizing materials that reduce
environmental impact without compromising performance.

● Bamboo paper replaces traditional tree pulp, helping combat deforestation.
● Water-based coatings & plant-based bioplastics replace conventional plastic linings, improving compostability.
● Mineral-filled & coffee-infused bioplastics reduce plastic dependency while maintaining durability and functionality.

But we don’t stop at products. Through the Restaurantware Green Hero
Foundation and our partnership with Veritree, we go beyond sustainable
sourcing to actively restore ecosystems and reduce our footprint.
By supporting large-scale reforestation and carbon sequestration, we’re
not just minimizing impact—we’re working toward a net-positive future
for the planet.
        

Sustainable Development Goals supported

Treeferrals by veritree

Treeferrals was designed to create a community of tree-loving businesses, working together to save our beautiful planet. Our mission is to supercharge verified restoration and unlock investment in nature at scale. Referral members can earn recognition as restorative allies and help plant additional trees by connecting veritree with their network of businesses. Members receive custom Treeferral badges to showcase their efforts and celebrate their impact.

  • Sapling Sponsor

    Successfully referred 1 business

    Achieved
  • Leaf Legend

    Successfully referred 5 businesses

  • Arbor Ambassador

    Successfully referred 10 businesses

Our Sustainability Story

The Green Hero Foundation was born from a simple belief: we all have a role in preserving the planet. Restaurantware, a foodservice supply provider committed to natural substrates and compostable packaging and tableware, launched the foundation as a natural extension of its sustainability mission. From planting trees to supporting environmental education, we aim to leave a positive mark on the earth, fostering a future where communities and nature thrive together. We believe that sustainability is not just a choice—it’s a responsibility. By aligning our efforts with meaningful projects, we inspire others to take action, knowing that every small step contributes to a healthier planet. In line with this vision, the Green Hero Certification was our first initiative, recognizing products that meet high compostability and sustainability standards. At our core, we focus on environmental restoration and support efforts that promote a circular economy, reduce waste, and nurture a greener world.

*Plant One On Us: Trees Planted Since 2021

In the face of climate change, deforestation, and global environmental
crises, initiatives that promote sustainability are becoming increasingly
crucial. That's why Restaurantware launched the "Plant One On Us"
program. Since March 2021, we've committed to planting a tree for every
purchase made on Restaurantware.com. With this initiative, we've already
planted over 310,000 trees, working with our partners Trees for the Future
and Veritree to make a tangible impact on the environment and
communities in need.

veritree is not responsible for the accuracy and verification of previously funded trees

Frequently Asked Questions

'Nature-Based Solutions' is a term that describes actions which protect, sustainably manage, or restore ecosystems — such as reforestation, avoided deforestation, and broader ecosystem restoration.

When done well, investment in Nature-Based Solutions can support biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience, and deliver co-benefits for local communities alongside environmental outcomes. When done badly, it may do more harm than good — which is why robust monitoring and verification matter.

veritree works with planting organizations across the globe to verify Nature-based Solutions (NbS) projects. They are initially launching the platform with planting projects in Canada, Kenya, Madagascar, United States, and Tanzania with plans to quickly expand to more sites in the coming months.

The veritree platform was built to be easily used by any restoration practitioner looking to develop and operate high-quality NbS projects. Their ground-level monitoring tools enable planting organizations in any location in the world to scale NbS. This enables veritree to connect planting organizations with corporate partners and donors to support their restoration initiatives.

veritree works closely with local communities to demonstrate the long-term value restored forests bring to their families. Through education and direct involvement in monitoring and reporting, local communities develop a sense of ownership over their trees, supporting effective, long-term forest stewardship.

Note: As with all nature-based restoration, not all trees are expected to remain in place throughout their full projected lifespan. Growth progress tracking is built into veritree's methodology to account for this. Survivability rates vary by ecosystem type, species, and region and are tracked at the site level.

veritree acknowledges that estimating carbon is complex and remains an evolving area of practice.

Current estimates draw on averages from a cross-section of academic studies. Key variables in veritree's estimation model include: species planted (including maturity age), forest type, region, and average tree survivability.

Where primary data are unavailable, veritree applies conservative secondary data, proxy data, or assumptions to avoid overestimating outcomes. veritree continues to build academic partnerships to improve its methodology over time.

Note: All carbon sequestration figures are indicative in nature. Given the current degree of uncertainty in measurement and calculation methods for nature-based carbon sinks, these totals should be treated as estimates rather than verified outcomes. These figures are independent of any third-party carbon neutral certification calculations.

Both involve trees and verification, but they serve different purposes.

Verified carbon credits are tradeable units, each representing one tonne of CO₂ that has been quantified, third-party certified, and registered under a recognized standard. Buyers retire them against their own emissions to support formal offset, neutrality, or net-zero claims. To qualify, projects must meet strict criteria around additionality, permanence, and leakage, as formally laid out by standards bodies.

Verified restoration, veritree's core focus, is about putting trees in the ground and confirming they're actually there and surviving. Every planting is geo-tagged, monitored on the ground, and tracked over time, so partners can see exactly what their funding accomplished. The "verified" refers to the planting itself: the trees, the hectares restored, the communities employed, and the survival rates.

Verified restoration on its own does not generate carbon credits or substantiate offset, carbon-neutral, or net-zero claims. For organizations specifically working toward those claims, veritree can also facilitate access to verified carbon credits sourced from established project developers. This workstream is separate from our restoration efforts, and offered alongside it for partners who need that pathway.

Our emphasis remains on restoration. We believe trees are worth planting for what they genuinely deliver: living ecosystems, biodiversity, climate resilience, and meaningful work in the communities where we plant. Restoration is its own kind of impact, and it stands on its own.

veritree supports projects that are designed to create meaningful, lasting impact. veritree collaborates closely with corporate partners and local planting partners from project design through planting and beyond. We work to identify areas and conditions where restoration efforts can make a genuine difference and contribute to revitalization of nature.

To support durable change, veritree conducts on-the-ground monitoring. Furthermore, long-term remote sensing tools, such as satellite imagery, are used to track forest growth and health.

While these measures are designed to give projects the best possible chance of lasting impact, it is important to note that permanence cannot be fully guaranteed in nature-based restoration. Ongoing monitoring is part of how veritree manages for this uncertainty.

Level 1 - The first level of verification is complete once planting planters have submitted their planting form, activities, and applicable evidence through veritree's Collect App.

Level 2 - During the second level of verification, planting site management (leads and supervisors) check the data and information submitted via a planting site review and data check.

Level 3 - The third and final level of verification is conducted by veritree. At this stage all submitted data and evidence is analyzed by their internal machine learning algorithms to check for accuracy.

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