What is Green Friday?

True to our roots, the Passenger tradition of Green Friday is here. It’s our 8th year running and this year we go again together, planting 5 trees and protecting a 1/4 of an acre of rainforest with every order.

For 10 days starting on 22nd November, to cover the whole Black Friday period, folks have the opportunity to support registered conservation legends Rainforest Trust, Trees for the Future, One Tree Planted, and Earthly when picking up responsible gifts

This year, donations will go towards

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"Tropical primary forest loss in 2023 was equivalent to losing almost 10 football fields of forest per minute. Tropical forests store carbon and actively remove it from the air, and 50% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity is found in rainforest habitat. The protection of standing forests is critical to protecting our planet."

~ James Lewis, Vice President of Conservation, Rainforest Trust

Why do we do it?

"Year after year, working with our amazing conservation partners over this period means we can give back with our gifting choices, planting trees for tomorrow and protecting rainforests for today.

"It’s a simple, direct and real way for our community to give back. There’s more to learn and more to do, and we’re working hard on doing even more. Plant & Protect isn’t the answer to everything, but we’re passionate about trees, we’ve always given a shit about how vital they are for a healthy people and a healthy planet.

"I saw this firsthand on a visit to Eastern Uganda with our longstanding tree-planting partner Trees for the Future. And I’ll never forget arriving at the first Forest Garden, not really sure what to expect, but being made to feel incredibly welcome by the whole community.

"Everything Trees for the Future is doing is about community. From empowering farmers to take control of their land, teaching them new skills and supporting them throughout the process, it all comes back to changing lives for the better.

"Plant & Protect is a core part of the Passenger purpose. We’ll keep on planting trees & protecting rainforests today, tomorrow and the next day, just as we always have."

- RICHARD SUTCLIFFE, FOUNDER

Conservation Partners

  • Trees for the Future

    Over the past few years, we’ve worked very closely with conservation partners, Trees for the Future (TREES), who have planted over 300 million trees since 1989. But there’s more to the Forest Garden Approach - it’s a specialist mix of agroforestry techniques that empower farmers to take back control of their land, diversify their crops and improve their livelihoods.

     

    By diversifying production and protecting their soil, Forest Gardeners farm with nature, rather than against it. Moving portions of their land away from monocrops in favour of variety, producing dozens of food and resource crops for their families, year-round. Not only are they left with plenty to eat, they can now sell their produce at local markets. It’s an incredible multi-step programme—one that we’re proud to support and have seen in action first-hand.

  • Rainforest Trust

    To date, Rainforest Trust has protected over 50 million acres of rainforest. They do this by establishing legally recognised areas of protection in partnership with local organisations and communities. It’s a cost-effective conservation model with a 36-year success rate, creating permanent refuge for endangered species facing direct threats from loggers, miners, and ranchers. 

    With conservation projects in over 62 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, we help to fund their efforts through monthly contributions to the Conservation Action Fund, with 100% of our donations funding direct conservation action. Through partnerships like ours, the Rainforest Trust can work towards the long-term protection of tropical ecosystems and the wildlife they hold.

  • One Tree Planted

    One Tree Planted works with partners across 47+ countries in North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Pacific. Global projects help to restore forests after fires and floods, create jobs, build communities, and protect habitat for wildlife.

    For Green Friday this year, we’re supporting wildfire restoration in the Pacific Northwest across the states of Oregon and Washington, as well as further south in California. 

  • Earthly

    Earthly supports nature-driven solutions that remove carbon, restore biodiversity and improve livelihoods around the globe. From mangrove restoration in Madagascar to agroforestry in Kenya, tree planting in the UK to peatland protection in Indonesia, through solid partnerships, Earthly makes sure its impact delivers meaningful support to both nature and the people who rely on it.

    For Green Friday this year, Passenger will donate to Earthly’s mangrove restoration projects in Madagascar, to help restore degraded coastal ecosystems, soak up carbon, prevent flood damage, and support local communities with better fisheries and jobs.

Our Impact

It's More Than Just Trees

Together, our impact goes way beyond tree planting when you place an order with Passenger over Green Friday. Our longstanding conservation partner Trees for the Future works with farmers in Kenya, Senegal, Mali, Uganda and Tanzania to bring back life to land they’ve lost due to deforestation and harmful farming practices.

By planting Forest Gardens, these farmers can rebuild entire food ecosystems that will provide nutrition and income for their communities for generations to come.

Earlier this year, our founder Rich and some of the team travelled to Eastern Uganda to see this impact first-hand.

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And this Green Friday you can have an even bigger impact, as we’ll be planting 5 trees and protecting 1,000 sqm of rainforest with every order. Not only will you help plant Forest Garden trees in Africa, but you’ll support reforestation in areas hit by wildfires in the US, plant mangroves in Madagascar, and protect rainforests in South America.

Since we began working with Trees for the Future and Rainforest Trust, we’re proud to say we’ve planted over 1.4 million trees and protected over 73 million sqm of rainforest. 

Your Part in Green Friday

It’s great that Green Friday has taken off and we see more and more brands joining in every year. The downside to that is greenwashing, where it’s just about encouraging people to buy more things they don’t need via some thinly veiled green claims.

It’s tough out there, and a lot of businesses rely on sales at this time of year to survive. We ask that you question the brands you’re purchasing from, and push for honest answers. It might not always be perfect, but if we’re informed and aware of our choices then we can make better buying decisions. And remember that we’ll plant 5 trees and protect 1,000 sqm of rainforest with your order this Green Friday.

Responsible Gifting

We know that at this time of year, our attention can move towards gifting season. So we’re listening to our community; we’ll ensure our Outlet is stocked with offers for those who want to pick up more responsible gifts for less. 

We want to help people understand that more responsible choices are out there. You can choose a product with a lighter footprint, you can choose to protect rainforests, plant trees or support a number of impactful causes with your buying choices. There are independent brands out there doing the best they can to make a positive difference this time of year.

We are focused on what we can do and what our community can do. We encourage everyone to check claims and do the right thing for them.

Responsible Gifts

  • Responsibility

    Passenger products are Made To Roam, thoughtfully designed, sourced and manufactured to leave a smaller footprint. Meet our suppliers, find out more about Plant & Protect, and learn more about the materials we use, in our commitment to responsibility.

    Read More

  • Our Materials

    We know that everything we do has an impact. That’s why we favour recycled and organic materials, mindful processes, and are constantly re-evaluating our approach. We make clothes that’ll join you on your adventures and wild roams, so it’s vital we keep our footprint in mind.

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  • Our Suppliers

    As part of our commitment to a fair, responsible and transparent supply chain, we’ve made it a priority to map our suppliers and share their stories. We’re working hard to be transparent, sharing more info as we make progress. It’s a long journey, but we trust our heading.

    Read More

FAQs

Is this greenwashing?

The long game

Being responsible is a core value, it’s been at the heart of Passenger since day one. We’ve been planting trees for a long time and there weren’t that many of us doing it back then.

Putting roots in the ground is just one part of our ESG strategy, but it’s the part we’re most known for. It’s a simple, direct and real way for our community to give back with every purchase. Many other businesses now choose to plant trees too which is brilliant. No matter whether it’s popular or not, we’ll keep on planting today, tomorrow and the next day just as we always have.

Green Friday

It’s great that Green Friday has taken off and we see more and more brands joining in every year. The downside to that is greenwashing, where it’s just about encouraging people to buy more things they don’t need via some thinly veiled green claims.

It’s tough out there, and a lot of businesses rely on sales at this time of year to survive. Consumers should ask questions and brands should give honest answers. It might not always be perfect, but if we’re informed and aware of our choices then we can make better buying decisions.

Education

We talk about greenwashing a lot at Passenger, we’re very aware of how damaging it is to consumer trust and how frustrating it is for independent businesses that are genuine.

We want to help people understand that more responsible choices are out there. You can choose a product with a lighter footprint, you can choose to protect rainforests, plant trees or support a number of impactful causes with your buying choices. There are independent brands out there doing the best they can to make a positive difference this time of year.

We are focused on what we can do and what our community can do. We encourage everyone to check claims and do the right thing for them.

Where are my trees?

When you order from Passenger, you're contributing to conservation projects in both the UK and globally. Your order will plant trees in Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Our partners plant trees in just the right places to make a real difference, working hand in hand with ongoing projects to amp up their impact.

We're exploring ways to connect specific orders to specific planting sites, but only if it has a positive impact on the work we're doing, and doesn't increase the environmental footprint of the order.

What has Passenger done in the past?

Passenger has run a Green Friday alternative to Black Friday for 7 years.

To date, we’ve planted more than 1.4 million native trees in soil all over the globe and protected over 73 million sqm of rainforest. (Nov 2024).

Our primary conservation partners are Rainforest Trust and Trees for the Future. During Green Friday 2024 we’re also supporting One Tree Planted and Earthly, and funding a team trip to plant trees in Burnehyll Community Woodland in Oxfordshire, UK, via eForests. In 2023, we were part of a similar project at Knepp, a 3,500-acre rewilding project in Sussex, UK.