KENOSHA, WIS – Students from Riverview School in Silver Lake, Wisconsin, and Bittersweet

Elementary School in Mishawaka, Indiana, recently welcomed employees from corporate

neighbor, Colbert Packaging (colbertpkg.com). Building on its tradition of educating students

about sustainability and the lifecycle of trees, Colbert employee teams, led by Human Resources

Managers, Todd Douthit in Elkhart and Kevin Pittner in Kenosha, reached more than 150

second- and third-grade students with ‘TICCIT’ presentations. TICCIT is an acronym for “Trees

into Cartons, Cartons into Trees.”

Earth Day 2024 marks the seventh year of Colbert’s involvement in TICCIT. Teams from

Colbert’s Kenosha and Elkhart locations volunteered to help. Students and teachers participated

with great enthusiasm. The hands-on engagement activity gave students the opportunity to plant

a sapling in a paperboard carton filled with soil to bring home. The program shows families that

the carton, planted directly in the ground, provides protection and a natural water funnel for the

new tree. As the tree grows, the carton will break down and complete the "trees into cartons,

cartons into trees" cycle. The visual presentation was topped off with a hands-on session where

students were invited to prepare and take home their very own tree sapling in a paperboard

planter.

“The TICCIT curriculum teaches the next generation that trees are a sustainable crop, just like

other agricultural crops such as corn and soybeans, and highlights the importance of recycling,”

said Colbert Marketing Manager Wanda Speer. Colbert’s commitment to sustainability includes

support of wind energy, zero manufacturing waste to landfill practices, responsible paperboard

sourcing, and participation in EcoVadis’ business sustainability ratings platform. For more

information about Colbert Packaging’s commitment to sustainability, visit

https://colbertpkg.com/sustainability/

Bittersweet Elementary teacher, Karen Delio summed it up: “Thank you for the engaging and

informative presentation given to our second-grade students at Bittersweet Elementary. The

students learned a lot about trees and tree products. Mr. Douthit and his crew were attentive to

our students and even gave each student a tree to take home and plant! Great presentation!”

Created by the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), of which Colbert Packaging is a member,

the TICCIT program teaches young learners about the role trees play in the environment and our

circular economy. Children learn to recognize sustainable packaging and understand how

recycling paper-based packaging completes the circle of cartons into trees. The TICCIT program

was launched by the PPC in 2010 and is available to schools, organizations, home schools and

sponsors (like Colbert) across the country. Visit ticcit.info for more information.

Founded in 1959, Colbert Packaging has grown its repertoire of paperboard packaging solutions

into one of the most comprehensive, diverse and inventive portfolios in the industry, serving

pharmaceutical, healthcare and consumer goods customers. Colbert’s Kenosha, Wisconsin

facility produces offset and flexographic printed folding cartons, pressure-sensitive roll labels

and package inserts; the Elkhart, Indiana operation includes folding carton production and paper

tray forming. Learn more at www.colbertpkg.com.