Smurfit Kappa plant raises charity funds

A Smurfit Kappa recycling depot in Tamworth, United Kingdom, is celebrating a fundraising milestone, having raised more than £40,000 ($50,000) for a nearby hospice.

A total of £41,038.74 has been raised for St. Giles Hospice to help fund the provision of care to local people living with cancer and other serious illnesses. The fundraising target was hit “thanks to businesses in the region who donate their recyclable paper and cardboard to the depot,” says Smurfit Kappa.

Through the program, smaller businesses deliver their recyclable cardboard and paper directly to the depot while larger businesses can request a bin that is collected free of charge. Smurfit Kappa Recycling pays for every tonne of material collected, and over the years an increasing number of customers have been nominating St Giles Hospice as the recipient for the payments, says the company. The depot staff has already begun working toward an £80,000 ($98,700) fundraising target.

The recovered fibre supplied to Smurfit Kappa’s Tamworth depot ends up at its paper mill in nearby Birmingham and its sister mill in Kent, U.K., where it is used to make brown paper packaging.

“We are delighted to have supported St. Giles Hospice over the years,” says Jeremy Green, commercial manager for Smurfit Kappa Recycling. “Its valuable work has positively benefitted so many of our employees’ immediate families and friends; everyone understands what a vital role St. Giles plays within the local community.”

Adds Green, “We are really proud of the amount we’ve been able to donate thanks to all the recyclable paper and cardboard we’ve received from so many diverse small businesses in the region. Small amounts really do add up. We’re now looking forward to developing the partnership and hope that other businesses will help us raise even more money for St. Giles by getting involved with this fantastic project.”

Richard Phillips, corporate account manager for St. Giles Hospice, comments, “The support we’ve had from Smurfit Kappa Recycling over the past few years has been brilliant. They have also been heavily involved in supporting our events with both volunteers and financial support – they’ve been a fantastic partner in so many ways.”