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A Stockport-based packaging manufacturer, Glossop Cartons, has kicked off celebrations for its 40th year of trading with a tree planting alongside pupils from Whitehill Primary School in Reddish.
The carton board packaging manufacturer, which is based on Whitehill Industrial Estate in Reddish, donated 40 trees to the school – one for each year of the business.
Glossop Cartons’ managing director Wayne Fitzpatrick and head of sales Matt Clarke helped green-fingered Year 6 pupils with planting the saplings in Whitehill’s forest school.
Wayne Fitzpatrick said:
“The tree planting was a great way to celebrate an important milestone in Glossop Carton’s history as well as engaging with a school that’s on our doorstep. It was a perfect activity to mark the occasion, whilst also creating a green legacy with each tree planted bringing benefits to pupils, staff, wildlife and the climate.”
Matt Clarke added:
“Trees are a vital part of our environment for many reasons. As well as being important for our biodiversity, they play an essential role in the UK’s mission to become carbon neutral, helping to off-set emissions that cannot be cut through other means. Spending time planting trees with the school underlines our commitment to sustainability as a business and it was a fantastic experience for the children as well.”
Children planted a selection of species of trees, including Bird Cherry, Crab Apple, Field Maple, English Oak, Rowan and Wild Cherry in their forest school. Every child at Whitehill Primary School regularly visits the forest school to engage with their outdoor environment and experience lessons beyond the classroom.
Emma Milnes, teacher at Whitehill Primary School, added:
“Our children were very excited to roll their sleeves up and plant the trees to mark Glossop Cartons’ 40th year. Many youngsters in our school don’t have a garden at home, which makes our forest school a really important and enriching part of their lives. It was a brilliant experience for them to plant the trees and it will be wonderful for them to see the trees they planted growing and attracting wildlife.”
Marking the firm’s trading milestone with a tree planting exercise helps underline Glossop Cartons’ commitment to operating sustainably. The firm is working towards becoming a zero-waste company, and sources carton board for its recyclable and largely bio-degradable products from mills which adopt a 3:1 re-plating programme. The firm also works closely with its customers to limit the amount of packaging required for products, helping reduce the environmental impact from both production and transportation.
Image: Year Six pupils from Whitehill Primary School in Reddish with Glossop Cartons’s Head of Sales, Matt Clarke (L) and MD Wayne Fitzpatrick (R).