PACT and Green Belt Movement Partner to Plant 10,000 Trees in Africa

SAN FRANCISCO, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- PACT, an online underwear brand that blends design and sustainability with support for powerful social and environmental causes, today announced that it has partnered with the Green Belt Movement of Kenya and architect David Adjaye to create the newest print in its line of premium organic cotton underwear for men and women. To honor Earth Week and the debut of the new Green Belt-inspired print, from April 16 – 25, PACT will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of this collection toward the planting of 10,000 trees in Africa. To do it, PACT and Green Belt Movement will plant 20 trees for every pair of Green Belt underwear sold.  

Activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 as a grassroots tree-planting program to empower women to address issues of deforestation, soil erosion and water scarcity. Since then, the organization has assisted African women in planting more than 40 million trees, creating powerful champions for sustainability, equitable economic development and peace.

Adjaye, one of Africa's most celebrated architects and designers, designed the Green Belt print, a series of yellow-stemmed fig leaves that echo the shape of the African continent. The print, set against a jewel-toned green background, evokes the spirit of renewal and hope for the planet carried through Dr. Maathai's work.

"We couldn't conceive of a better way to honor our planet and our collaboration with Dr. Maathai and David Adjaye than to use all of the proceeds from the Earth Week sales of this beautiful new PACT print to plant 10,000 trees in Africa," said Jason Kibbey, CEO and co-Founder of PACT. "Working toward this goal gets to the heart of our credo: Change Starts With Your Underwear."

Adjaye is recognized internationally for his innovative use of materials, bespoke design and ability to sculpt and showcase light. His projects include collaborations with artists, exhibition design, temporary pavilions, private homes, major arts centers and public buildings in the US and UK, and now, underwear print design.

"Collaboration and interpretation are both processes that are rewarding for me as an artist," said Adjaye. "Working with two people whom I greatly respect, Wangari Maathai and PACT collaborator Yves Behar, made this print design an exciting challenge."

Following Earth Week, PACT will continue to give back 10 percent of the sale price of each pair of Green Belt Movement underwear to support the organization's mission. The print will be available on April 16 exclusively at www.wearPACT.com.

About PACT:

PACT is an online apparel company launched in 2009 by Jason Kibbey and Jeff Denby offering design-driven, sustainably manufactured, premium underwear connected to powerful social and environmental causes. PACT creates partnerships with nonprofits and donates 10 percent of each underwear purchase to support these organizations' work. PACT underwear is made of responsibly grown and manufactured organic cotton, transported in zero-waste packaging and delivered with a minimized carbon footprint, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to style, sustainability and social consciousness. For more information, email us at [email protected].

SOURCE PACT