Earth Month by GiftTrees: How Your Restaurant Can Make a Real Difference This Month

Every meal has a story. At GiftTrees, we believe that story can include something bigger than the bill: and this time, we're giving every restaurant in our network the chance to have a bigger impact.

From April 20 to May 24, 2026, we're launching Earth Month by GiftTrees: a campaign that rewards the restaurants driving the most environmental impact across our network. Because planting trees shouldn't be a passive act: it should be something worth celebrating.

What Is Earth Day, and Why Does It Matter?

Before we get into the campaign, a little context.
Earth Day is observed every year on April 22. It's the world's largest civic environmental event, mobilising over one billion people across 193 countries. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, when 20 million Americans went onto the streets in the largest civic demonstration in American history, sparking the modern environmental movement and leading directly to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

More than 55 years later, it's still going. And this year, it matters more than ever.

The official theme for Earth Day 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet", a rallying call from EARTHDAY.ORG for people everywhere to take tangible action, not just raise awareness. The message is simple: environmental progress is built by ordinary people making consistent choices, not waiting for governments or corporations to lead.


That's exactly the spirit behind Earth Month by GiftTrees.

Why Restaurants Are Part of the Solution

The hospitality industry is a powerful lever for environmental behaviour change, not only because of what happens in the kitchen, but because of the conversations that happen at the table.

Every day, restaurants across the UK serve millions of meals. Each of those moments is an opportunity to connect guests to something meaningful. When a diner pays their bill and a tree gets planted on their behalf, it's a small, tangible act of impact that adds up fast.

That's the premise GiftTrees was built on: make sustainability easy for restaurants, and meaningful for the people eating in them.

Introducing Earth Month by GiftTrees


This month, we're turning that everyday impact into something to compete for.

Earth Month by GiftTrees runs from April 20 to May 24, 2026. Across those five weeks, we'll be tracking performance across our entire restaurant network and recognising the restaurants that go the extra mile.

Two people jointly holding a young tree sapling with soil-covered roots, smiling in a green outdoor setting — illustrating the real-world tree planting impact created through the GiftTrees network.

How it works

You don't need to sign up. If your restaurant is already part of the GiftTrees network, every transaction from April 20 counts automatically. The more you promote it (to your team, and to your guests) the more impact you create, and the better your chances of winning.


Three ways to win: We've designed the competition so restaurants of every size and performance level have a genuine shot:

  • Most trees planted across the campaign: For our highest-volume partners
  • Highest campaign uplift: For restaurants showing the biggest growth in engagement
  • Best conversion on participating bills: For restaurants excelling at guest-level activation


What the winners get: 

  • A professionally produced video for your restaurant — yours to keep, with no GiftTrees branding required
  • A feature across GiftTrees social media and our end-of-month email, putting your restaurant in front of our full network
  • Matched trees planted on your behalf, doubling your impact for the campaign period

How to Make the Most of It: Winning isn't just about transaction volume, it's about how well your team brings the campaign to life in the restaurant. Here's what we'd suggest:

  • Brief your staff: We will put together a short staff briefing (including a video walkthrough and a simple FOH script) so your team knows what to say when presenting the bill. The more natural and consistent the conversation, the more impact you'll see.
  • Put it in front of guests: We can send printed table talkers to any restaurant that requests them: a simple, customer-facing piece that explains what happens when they pay. Request yours here before the 20th of April. 
  • Use the manager checklist:  We will created a one-page checklist to help managers keep momentum going across the full five weeks. It takes five minutes a week and makes a real difference to results.

The Bigger Picture

Earth Month isn't just about trees. It's about what restaurants can stand for.

Increasingly, diners care about where they eat and what that business believes in. A 2023 study by Nielsen IQ found that 78% of consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them, and that preference is showing up at the till. Restaurants that can authentically demonstrate their environmental values are building loyalty that goes beyond the menu.


Earth Month by GiftTrees gives you a concrete, visible way to do exactly that, during the one month of the year when the whole world is paying attention.

Ready to Make This Month Count?

If you're already a GiftTrees partner, you're in. Head to your dashboard to see your current performance, and request your printed materialsso your team is set up before April 20.


If you're not yet part of the network and want to find out how GiftTrees works for restaurants, get in touch with our team:  we'd love to show you.


This month, every meal is an opportunity. Let's make it count.


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GiftTrees is FREE

GiftTrees simply adds a small amount to your diner's bill. This low addition guarantees the planting of a life-changing GiftTree in a developing country.

Your diners can choose to remove this from their bill should they wish and as a restaurant there is zero-cost for becoming a certified GiftTrees Restaurant.

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