SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - This spring, the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) will help companies in the paper packaging industry teach school children about sustainability with the popular TICCIT® Program. Participants are encouraged to hold their TICCIT events in honor of Earth Day, during the week of April 17-21, 2017.

Short for “Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees,” TICCIT gives companies all the resources they need to hold a fun, hands-on educational event at their local elementary school. By doing so, they educate future generations about the recyclability and sustainability of paper as well as the environmental benefits of trees.

Designed to be highly customizable, the TICCIT curriculum contains both lecture-based and hands-on components. To lead discussion with the students, participating companies can use the free, downloadable presentation (available at paperbox.org/TICCIT) that covers fun facts about trees, the papermaking process, and how to recycle paper. Participants can also review the TICCIT program guide for more content and tips.

To get the kids actively involved, participating companies can also purchase discounted tree saplings (through the Arbor Day Foundation) to distribute at the TICCIT workshop. During the event, students can plant their saplings in paperboard cartons filled with soil. Afterwards they can take home the sapling-carton units to plant in their backyards or neighborhoods. The students learn that the cartons provide protection and a natural water funnel for the new trees, and that as the trees grow, the cartons will biodegrade and complete the "trees into cartons, cartons into trees" cycle.
 
“It is crucial show the younger generations the powerful role that trees and paper play in any sustainable lifestyle,” said Ben Markens, PPC president. “TICCIT helps companies in the paper packaging industry do just that—and with saplings from the Arbor Day Foundation, they can also help to beautify their communities in the process.”
 
To hold a TICCIT event, companies should begin by contacting a nearby school in late February or early March (if an employee has a child in the school, ask them to facilitate the relationship). Saplings should be ordered before the end of March (a minimum of three weeks before the delivery date), and the beginning and middle of April should be used to prepare the presentation and organize logistics.

For more details and to download classroom materials, visit paperbox.org/TICCIT. To purchase discounted tree saplings, visit arborday.org/PPC.