Recently, Pakistani clothing brand Sapphire launched a creative initiative for tree planting that people think is the absolute best idea ever. With the innovation of a biodegradable shopping bag, Sapphire has attempted to make tree planting as easy and efficient as possible for its customers. This bag is embedded with seeds – so all you have to do is tear a piece from the bag, put it into the soil, and water it regularly so it grows into a tree.
This is as quick and easy as it gets!
There is no doubt about it; if you shop at Sapphire and wind up with one of these bags, it should be no hardship for you to plant a few trees once you reach home.
However, Sapphire’s campaign is only one amongst many others being carried out by other small-time brands, organizations, and even some quite famous/influential personalities.
On Independence Day, the DG ISPR released this video with a new song sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. This was done in order to promote the national tree-planting campaign and to make sure everyone knew the army was planning to be proactive about it.
Thank you @OfficialDGISPR for featuring me in #GreenPakistan Campaign Official song. This #IndependenceDay we should resolve to make #Pakistan greener by planting trees in our surroundings. pic.twitter.com/8Qs0rdn9dK — Senator Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) August 14, 2018
There were countless others who celebrated 14th August by taking up this initiative. From the army to charity organizations to celebrities – it seems everyone was eager to be a part of this.
From big organization to common Pakistani everyone is now emphasising in tree plantation. It's a real change Support #AdamjeeLife in their cause for planting trees and plants across Pakistan.#HumMeinHaiPakistan pic.twitter.com/1KxqRRE8Pt — Dr Hira Zuberi Chishti (@NisaTalks) August 14, 2018
Rizq, an organization focused on preventing food wastage and feeding the hungry, also urged people to come out and support them in their own fruit-tree planting campaign:
Rizq will be planting fruit trees across Pakistan this 14th August, seeding a future free of hunger! Join us in our movement and plant a fruit tree in your area. #seedingGood #BhookSeAzaadi #LoveDoesFeed #MittaDeBhook pic.twitter.com/BLFl2G74sB — Rizq (@Rizq_Sharefood) August 13, 2018
Politicians, administrators, and even the police were not to be left behind this time.
The chairman of Badin District Council and also Islamabad Police Inspector General took up determined initiatives to contribute something to Pakistan’s tree-planting venture that was and still is, spreading like wildfire.
Chairman @DistCouncilBadn Hon: @AAsgharHalepoto planting a Tree in GymKhana Badin on the eve of Pakistan Independence Day
#PakistanDay #GreenPakistan pic.twitter.com/4sYJWxSXaX — Team Ali Asghar Halepoto (@TeamHalepoto) August 14, 2018
IGP Islamabad Mr. Jan Muhammad inaugurated the "Efforts for a Greener Pakistan" campaign in association with the administration of "The Centaurus Mall" by planting a tree at Police Lines HQ Islamabad today. This plantation campaign is also a part of Independence Day celebrations. pic.twitter.com/Kv3OTRv1VC — Islamabad Police (@ICT_Police) August 13, 2018
Popular celebrity Frieha Altaf teamed up with activist and artist Salman Ahmad to do some tree planting of her own:
Planting trees for pakistan #bycobethechange with @sufisal pic.twitter.com/bsSlz9QQvc — Frieha Altaf (@FriehaAltaf) August 15, 2018
However, applauding Sapphire and all other Pakistani figureheads who led various tree-planting movements is not enough. What about the more obscure campaigners that we are pushing by the wayside?
Eva zu Beck, an international blogger of sorts, has been apparently planting trees for the past few months in our city Islamabad. Recently, she helped PIA celebrate Independence Day by doing a dance routine that went viral – one for which she’s been catching a lot of flack by the public. Aren’t we being too harsh with our judgments, considering the fact she has only ever demonstrated good will? https://twitter.com/Farrukh_Abbas12/status/1029068521601466368 Let’s not forget to appreciate every one. This tree-planting movement is a milestone for Pakistan – and we are all contributing a little something to it. Don’t forget to look around your area for different organizations that are planting trees in case you want to get in on the action. And it wouldn’t hurt to try out those bags from Sapphire either!