TICCIT 2023
“Trays Into Carton, Cartons into Trees”. Southern Champion Tray had the joy of partnering with the Paperboard Packaging Council in the annual TICCIT program.
The “Trees Into Cartons, Cartons Into Trees” (TICCIT) spring season has come to a close, but boy did we have fun! SCT team members visited third-grade classrooms at 10 schools in Chattanooga, TN, and Mansfield, TX, where the kids learned how paper is made and why it is important to recycle.
During the presentation, students learn that for every tree that is cut down for paper, five are planted in its place. They learn how to tell the age of a tree, how a wet pulp becomes the same paper they write on in class every day, and how that same paper can be recycled into more paper!
The energy during these presentations was palpable and the questions that were asked were truly insightful. We were proud to partner with these schools and their excellent students. I mean, how many times do you get to spend time talking about trees and even plant your own?
Yes, that’s right, each child was given a paperboard box (manufactured in our Texas facility) filled with potting soil after which a tree sapling was placed. They could then take it home and plant it straight into their yard (with their parent’s permission).
There was a great fascination that the box itself would decompose and act as a natural fertilizer for their tree. For those of us who work at SCT, it was exciting to see their faces light up with that realization and be encouraged that the next generations are becoming more and more aware of the value of recycling and responsibly using our natural resources.
The TICCIT program is in partnership with the Paperboard Packaging Council. To learn more about the TICCIT program visit, https://paperbox.org/programs/ticcit/.