A school programme that teaches children about the importance of sustainable packaging and the circular economy has won the Information and Education category at the 2019 European Paper Recycling Awards.
Pro Carton’s TICCIT (Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees) initiative was originally devised by The Paperboard Packaging Council in the USA, where over 115,000 children have had the chance to plant a sapling in a cardboard box. It was launched into Europe by Pro Carton, the European Association of Carton and Cartonboard Manufacturers in 2018 and rolled out across the continent in 2019.
TICCIT educates youngsters about the benefits of sustainable paper-based packaging and the importance of recycling. Students are taught about the importance of trees in the environment and at the end of the lesson get to pot a sapling into a cartonboard box filled with soil which they can plant into their garden, highlighting the biodegradable nature of the material.
The TICCIT programme is presented by staff from companies within the carton industry, with the programme available in eight languages.
Tony Hitchin, general manager of Pro Carton said, “We are delighted the TICCIT programme has been recognised by the European Paper Recycling Awards because it reinforces the both the importance of the campaign and the success of the programme. Schools across Europe have been keen to participate in TICCIT, with many teachers expressing their thoughts on the effectiveness of the scheme and its ability to teach young students about the environmentally friendly properties of cartonboard. Learning is so much easier when you’re having fun, and TICCIT provides that.”
