Planet Ark Environmental Foundation

What Planet Ark Environmental Foundation does

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation is an Australian non-profit environmental organization established in 1992 that operates a portfolio of national programs aimed at promoting sustainable resource use, waste reduction, and community-driven environmental action. Its flagship consumer-facing program is National Tree Day, the country's largest community tree-planting and nature-care event, held annually since 1996 and engaging approximately 300,000 volunteers through partnerships with local councils, schools, and corporate sponsors. The foundation also administers a suite of product-stewardship and recycling programs—including Batteries 4 Planet Ark, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, Podcycle, Make It Wood, and the Recycling Near You directory—alongside awareness campaigns such as National Recycling Week.

In 2019 the organization launched The Seedling Bank, expanding into direct provisioning of seedlings for revegetation projects, and in Q4 2020 it launched the Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub), a business-facing platform that supports companies embedding circular-economy practices across design, procurement, and waste reduction, with documented federal government alignment. Program operations are supported by a network of paid staff and a broad volunteer base, and the organization's reach is national. Underlying technology is informational and web-based: program websites, the Recycling Near You location directory, the Product Stewardship Hub, and ACE Hub online resources comprise the principal digital infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through diversified channels typical of an Australian registered charity, including individual donations, corporate sponsorships (often tied to volunteer engagement and ESG activity), product-stewardship scheme administration fees, and government/grant funding for program-specific initiatives (notably ACE Hub). Customer/beneficiary segments span individual donors, corporate partners, local councils, schools, and federal government stakeholders; the organization does not publicly disclose detailed financial figures in the supplied material.

Name

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation

Legal name

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation Ltd

Website

https://planetark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation is an Australian non-profit founded in 1992 that runs national programs including National Tree Day, the Australian Circular Economy Hub, The Seedling Bank, and product-stewardship recycling schemes (Batteries 4 Planet Ark, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, Podcycle), serving individuals, councils, corporate partners, and federal government stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental non-profit programs and advocacy

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Forestry (800), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB), On-site Recycling Programs (Single-Stream, Source-Separated) (BPABALAB), Material Reuse & Upcycling Services (Non-recycling Transformation) (EUAIANAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental nonprofit programs
• Community tree planting
• Circular economy education
• Recycling program services
• Conservation advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ultimo

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from supporters who want to contribute to environmental causes. Donations to Planet Ark are voluntary and non-refundable. The Seedling Bank specifically accepts donations to provide grants to schools and community groups for native seedling purchases.
2. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Corporate partners and sponsors support National Tree Day and other programs. The National Tree Day page mentions Major Sponsors and Category Partners. Corporate partners are sought for the Australian Circular Economy (ACE) Hub program.
3. Endorsed Products: Planet Ark endorses certain products that are produced and sold by third-party manufacturers and distributors. These products are subject to the return and refund policies of those third parties.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation is an Australian registered charity that operates environmental programs promoting recycling, the circular economy, low carbon lifestyles, and community-based tree planting. Its flagship offering is National Tree Day, Australia's largest community tree-planting event, complemented by programs such as the Australian Circular Economy Hub, National Recycling Week, The Seedling Bank grant program, and recycling initiatives including Batteries 4 Planet Ark, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, and Podcycle. The organization is funded primarily through donations, corporate partnerships, and government support.

Product overview

Planet Ark Environmental Foundation operates a portfolio of environmental programs focused on sustainable resource use, low carbon lifestyles, and connecting people with nature. The core programs include National Tree Day (Australia's largest community tree-planting event established in 1996), the Australian Circular Economy Hub (launched Q4 2020 with Federal Government support), National Recycling Week, Batteries 4 Planet Ark, Cartridges 4 Planet Ark, Podcycle, Make It Wood, and The Seedling Bank (grant program launched 2019). These programs work together to promote circular economy principles, tree planting, recycling, and sustainable practices across Australian communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Tree Day: Australia's largest community tree-planting and nature care event, established in 1996, celebrated on the last Friday (Schools Tree Day) and last Sunday in July.
• Australian Circular Economy Hub
• The Seedling Bank
• National Recycling Week

Products and services

• National Tree Day Australia's largest community tree-planting and nature care event, established in 1996, encompassing Schools Tree Day (last Friday in July), National Tree Day (last Sunday in July), and Tropical Tree Day (first Sunday in December) for individuals, schools, businesses, councils, and community groups across Australia.
• Australian Circular Economy Hub (ACE Hub) Resource hub providing companies, individuals, and communities with tools and education to implement circular economy principles, including circular economy education, resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable product design.
• The Seedling Bank Grant program providing financial support to schools and community groups to purchase native seedlings for local restoration projects, launched in 2019.
• National Recycling Week Annual awareness campaign promoting recycling education and community participation in sustainable resource use practices across Australia.
• Recycling Near You Online directory helping Australians find recycling services for various materials in their local area, supporting sustainable resource management.
• Batteries 4 Planet Ark Workplace battery recycling program providing fireproof collection boxes for safe collection and recycling of handheld batteries. Materials are processed by Ecobatt with logistics handled by Close the Loop, achieving 95%+ material recovery.
• Cartridges 4 Planet Ark Printer cartridge recycling program that collects and recycles used printer cartridges to divert waste from landfill.
• Podcycle Coffee pod recycling initiative helping Australians recycle their used coffee pods responsibly.
• Planet Ark's Product Stewardship Hub Resource hub supporting product stewardship initiatives and helping businesses take responsibility for the lifecycle of their products.
• Recycling and Reuse Drop-Off Wall Directory helping Australians locate drop-off points for items that cannot be recycled through kerbside collection services.
• Make It Wood Program promoting the use of responsibly sourced timber as an environmentally friendly building material, encouraging carbon-positive choices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 28 million trees planted across Australia since 1996
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of Lake Claremont (FOLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019FOLC received the first Seedling Bank grant in 2019 and has been supported by Planet Ark for ongoing urban restoration efforts at Lake Claremont. Planet Ark supported planting of 1,050 seedlings in 2022 and continues to support their restoration work.
• Mornington Peninsula Koala ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation has planted over 100,000 trees since 2019, including 25,000 in 2025 alone. Benefited from Planet Ark Seedling Bank grant to support koala habitat restoration.
• Cairns Regional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Cairns Regional Council has co-hosted Tropical Tree Day with Skyrail Rainforest Cableway for the past 10 years, growing from 100 trees per year to 1,200-1,350 trees planted annually.
• Skyrail Rainforest CablewaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Skyrail Rainforest Cableway has co-hosted Tropical Tree Day with Cairns Regional Council for the past 10 years, supporting tropical tree planting in the Cairns region.
• NSW Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure (DPHI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPHI has developed the Greening for Cooling online toolkit providing practical guidance, evidence-based resources and case studies to help maximize cooling benefits of trees and green infrastructure. This supports National Tree Day activities across Greater Sydney councils.
• Tropical Tree Day PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTropical Tree Day has grown from a small gathering in Cairns to a beloved local tradition with hundreds of volunteers. Cattana Wetlands was the original site from 2009-2014.
• Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVA, supported locally by the City of Rockingham, hosts a series of community planting events including Urban Shade Forests initiative. Planted 1,315 native seedlings at Lewington Reserve in first worksite.
• City of RockinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Rockingham supports Conservation Volunteers Australia in hosting community planting events for urban greening and the Urban Shade Forests initiative.
• Close the LoopcoreTechnology or IntegrationClose the Loop is the logistics provider for the Batteries 4 Planet Ark program, collecting fireproof battery collection boxes from workplaces when full for recycling.
• EcobattcoreTechnology or IntegrationEcobatt is the recycling partner for the Batteries 4 Planet Ark program, recovering over 95% of materials in batteries including steel, copper, and aluminum for reuse in manufacturing.
• Business RecyclingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness Recycling hosts the Batteries 4 Planet Ark program sign-up page at businessrecycling.com.au/batteries4planetark/, facilitating workplace enrollment in the battery recycling program.
• Toyota DealershipsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerToyota dealerships are mentioned as potential supporters for National Tree Day activities, available to provide support for tree planting events.
• National Tree Day SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Tree Day has Major Sponsors and Category Partners that support the program. The specific sponsor names are not detailed in the source material.
• Bellarine Secondary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBellarine Secondary School delivered a science incursion on food webs to support Portarlington Primary School's National Tree Day garden project for Maggie the Magpie.
• Bellarine LandcareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided guidance for Portarlington Primary School's National Tree Day garden project, helping students create habitat gardens.
• Town of ClaremontcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Town of Claremont works with Friends of Lake Claremont on the urban restoration project, Australia's largest ongoing urban restoration initiative spanning 30 years.
• Local Nurseries (Cairns Region)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal nurseries supply native species for Tropical Tree Day planting events, including canopy and midstorey species selected for local environment suitability.
• Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)coreOthersPlanet Ark is a registered charity with the ACNC. The ACNC logo appears on the website as confirmation of charitable registration (ABN: 26 057 221 959).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greenpeace Australia Pacific: Major environmental NGO raising donations from Australian supporters and running campaigns on climate, forests, and oceans. Comparable as a fundraising competitor for individual donors and corporate sponsors, though more advocacy-focused than Planet Ark.
• Australian Conservation Foundation: Australia's longest-running environmental advocacy organisation. Directly comparable to Planet Ark on community mobilisation, donor base, and policy advocacy, though more focused on federal-level environmental politics versus Planet Ark's grassroots tree-planting model.
• Keep Australia Beautiful: Australian community-focused anti-litter and recycling organisation running National Recycling Week. Directly comparable to Planet Ark on recycling education, awareness campaigns, and partnerships with councils, schools, and businesses.
• WWF-Australia: Large Australian environmental NGO operating across conservation, climate, and advocacy. Directly comparable to Planet Ark as a registered charity competing for the same corporate sponsorships, individual donors, and government grants in Australia.
• Landcare Australia: National umbrella body coordinating community Landcare groups across Australia. Strongly comparable as Planet Ark explicitly engages Landcare groups as a primary customer segment and operates in the same community-led environmental restoration space.
• Bush Heritage Australia: Conservation nonprofit that acquires and manages land for biodiversity. Comparable to Planet Ark as an Australian environmental charity competing for restoration-related grants, though focused on land acquisition rather than community tree-planting.
• Conservation Volunteers Australia: Australia's largest practical conservation volunteer organisation, already partnering with Planet Ark. Direct peer in volunteer-led habitat restoration and community planting, competing for corporate volunteer days and grant funding.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Council of Recycling: National industry body representing Australia's recycling and resource recovery sector. Comparable to Planet Ark on circular economy policy and recycling advocacy, though represents commercial recyclers rather than running community programs.
• The Nature Conservancy Australia: Global conservation organisation with significant Australian operations. Comparable to Planet Ark as a science-led environmental nonprofit but with substantially larger budgets, corporate partnerships, and project scale.

Others

• Close the Loop: Australian e-waste and battery recycling processor that is Planet Ark's logistics partner in the Batteries 4 Planet Ark program. Adjacent ecosystem participant — comparable as a circular economy operator, though commercial rather than charitable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCY7fdW_ELNSB-03tont-i2A
• Facebookfacebook.com/planetark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planet-ark-environmental-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/planetark

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Planet Ark Environmental Foundation