MANCHESTER, England, October 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Brother's partnership with Cool Earth has grown to new heights - with funding to safeguard more than 2000 acres of trees within a brand new rainforest sustainability project in Papua New Guinea.

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Having already protected part of the Peruvian Amazon, Brother's European headquarters are now taking a lead role in supporting Cool Earth's new initiative. The project was officially launched by iconic fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, who is another long-term supporter and newly appointed patron of the charity.

The office technology company was Cool Earth's first major corporate partner and the relationship has bloomed over the past five years.

Brother annually pledges funds to Cool Earth through its Eco Rewards initiative - based on the number of ink and toner cartridges returned by customers across Europe in its free return and recycle scheme - and has helped to save over 1.3 million trees.

It provides further funds from other initiatives too, including its internal Eco Points initiative for Brother employees in Europe and the global Click for the Earth customer campaign.

Antony Peart, European Marketing and Communications Manager, Brother International Europe comments: "We are delighted to see the Papua New Guinea project come to fruition. Using their already proven successful approach to supporting rainforests and the communities living within them, the Cool Earth team have remarkable work planned to reduce carbon emissions caused by deforestation and protect an ecosystem that has taken nine million years to evolve."

Matthew Owen, Director at Cool Earth said: "This new initiative has been three years in the making and Brother has played an absolutely crucial role in making this project a reality. We will use the same community-led approach that Brother has helped us pioneer in Peru - helping to ensure produce, like nuts and coffee, are harvested responsibly, whilst also providing solar powered internet and other resources for local villages."

Cool Earth's Papua New Guinea project is situated in the Milne Bay province. It will support rainforest communities and help to protect 120,000 acres of pristine forest that is at risk of deforestation.

SOURCE Brother International Europe