Teaching students around the world about the circular life of trees
Educating children about circularity and the benefits of producing circular products is the way we plant seeds that will hopefully grow into a generation of aware and informed adults who make responsible decisions. Our employees share their knowledge with young people across the globe through various in-school programs.
Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees
USA and Ireland
Through the TICCIT program developed by the Paperboard Packaging Council, our employees visit local elementary school classes to share what we do and teach students about paper products and circularity. Students learn how paper products start as trees, are made from wood fiber and are then recycled and made again.
The interactive program also teaches young people that trees are a sustainable crop, like fruits and vegetables, and highlights the many uses for trees, including their role in sustainable packaging. Through the lesson, our employees emphasize the importance of recycling.
Altogether, around 500 employees from 49 Smurfit Westrock sites in both countriesthe USA and Ireland reached more than 10,000 students with their presentations. After the presentations, students received tree seedlings in paperboard cartons, filled them with soil and then took them home to plant. Our employees also donated books about sustainable forestry to the over 60 schools they visited.
The Journey of a Tree
China
Additionally, our employees in China continued their Journey of a Tree outreach program with new activities designed to spark curiosity and inspire action. Our employees introduced 190 kindergarten children to the circularity of paperboard packaging.
They shared with students how trees are transformed into paper packaging and why their fiber is a sustainable option. Children learned to identify the logos of major global forest certification systems, and they planted their own seedlings in biodegradable paper cups.
As the plants grow and the cups naturally decompose, they get to see firsthand how paper products nourish trees and those trees are grown to make more products. Now in its second year, this initiative continues to grow in impact, spreading knowledge about the environment and fostering early awareness.
Smurfit Westrock has a deep commitment to supporting the communities in which we live and work and championing the vulnerable. Each year our employees continue to generously give their time, energy, and expertise, to empower communities, encourage wellbeing and inspire future generations.