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In years past, Colbert employees brought the hands-on program to area grade schools, teaching environmental awareness. This year, colorful activity worksheets were distributed to interested families, along with an educational PowerPoint presentation.
The presentation teaches the life cycle of a paperboard folding carton, derived from a tree, and reborn as a new tree. As the tree grows and the paperboard “potting container” decomposes, it feeds the sapling. Children also learn how paper is made and why trees and recycling are important. For example, according to the American Forest and Paper Association, trees help us breathe by absorbing more than 10 lb of CO2 each year, and two-thirds of the nation’s drinking water comes from forests.
For the hands-on portion, children followed simple steps to plant seeds, a starter plant or a sapling in a paperboard carton filled with soil. They could then choose to start the seedlings indoors or plant the specially prepared containers into the ground.
By reinforcing the importance of trees in our lives, and the sustainability of paperboard packaging, Colbert Packaging encourages parents to model and talk with their children about taking an active role in recycling.
