Supermarket chain Sainsbury's has unveiled an 'exciting' new eco-friendly partnership.

The company have announced that Nectar customers can now spend their points to help to protect and restore nature and biodiversity thanks to a new Nectar partnership with the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, the Woodland Trust.

According to Sainsbury's, there are two ways customers can donate their points and support the crucial work of the Woodland Trust in protecting and creating important habitats for both wildlife and people across the UK.

How can shoppers get involved?

Customers can donate 2,000 Nectar points to the Woodland Trust via the Nectar app and website to have a tree planted in a new and flourishing wood, providing a natural environment for wildlife and space for people to enjoy.

Planted in 2012 in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Wood in Leicestershire is now flourishing into beautiful young woodland of native broadleaf trees including oak, field maple, silver birch, beech and hornbeam, to name just a few.

By donating 5,000 Nectar points customers can contribute to funding the maintenance and protection of the existing trees and woods cared for by the Woodland Trust, including encouraging the natural growth of new trees through the process known as natural regeneration.

Capturing and storing carbon from the atmosphere is vital in the fight against climate change, and each year an estimated 20 million tonnes of CO2 are absorbed and locked away by the UK’s existing trees and woods.

Nectar members can make a difference by helping the Woodland Trust to care for their woods, ensuring they continue to absorb and store carbon emissions, with a 5,000 point donation locking up around 1 tonne of carbon.

In addition to the option to donate points, Nectar have also announced that customers can collect 20x Nectar points for every £1 spent on their membership fees when they become a member of the Woodland Trust, supporting tree planting, woodland protection, and the creation of important habitat for both wildlife and people.

Meanwhile, once customers have signed up to a Woodland Trust membership and have linked their Nectar account, they can also earn an additional two Nectar points per £1 spent when they purchase Woodland Trust marked products such as Sainsbury’s Best of British apples and Free Range and SO Organic eggs, available both in store and online.

Karl Mitchell, Director of fundraising at the Woodland Trust, said: “It is very fitting that on a week when the international community is coming together to discuss the global climate situation in COP 26 that a new partnership is launched with Nectar and the Woodland Trust.

“Nectar customers can join as a member and donate to plant trees with us - it gives people a simple way to do their bit to combat the global climate emergency and create a natural legacy.

“Trees are our national warriors against climate change – we need more of them and quickly. Trees planted through the Nectar partnership will boost our bid to plant 50 million trees by 2025.

“The Woodland Trust has a long and fruitful relationship with Sainsbury’s - which owns Nectar - that spans more than a decade and has seen over 4.3 million native trees planted.

“This new Nectar partnership is set to branch this relationship out even further bringing more huge environmental benefits.”

Ruth Cranston, Head of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Sainsbury’s added: “We’re proud to be supporting the Woodland Trust, in all of the important work it’s doing, by creating and maintaining habitats for wildlife and providing spaces for people to enjoy nature.

“With COP26 underway, we know that our customers and colleagues are looking for more ways that they can help support nature and biodiversity, so we’re delighted to offer them the chance to donate their Nectar points to plant trees and help protect and restore our woodlands.

“Sainsbury’s has funded a range of key projects and activities in our 17 year partnership with the Woodland Trust, planting 4.3 million native trees across the UK and counting.

“We all need to take action to tackle the climate crisis, that’s why we’ve committed to become Net Zero in our own operations by 2035 and to reduce our scope 3 emissions across our value chain by 30% by 2030.”

For more information, visit www.nectar.com/brands/woodland-trust.