DS Smith : Let’s Go Circular - Lesson Plan Available in 12 European Languages To Mark International Day of Education

We want to lead the way towards a more circular economy, through engaging and educating our people, our industry and the next generation.

Equipping people to lead the transition to a circular economy

As part of our Now and Next sustainability strategy, we have pledged to engage 5 million young people on the circular economy by 2030, helping to inspire communities around the world to create a more sustainable, circular future. The delivery of school lesson plans and community projects, allied with putting sustainability at the heart of its communication strategy, has already helped us engage over 1 million people on the circular economy. The lesson was first presented in English at the New York Times Climate Hub's Ellen MacArthur Foundation Café during the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in November 2021. Since 2019, DS Smith has worked closely with the Foundation as a Strategic Partner to build their strategy, operations, and packaging solutions around the circular economy.

Let's Go Circular Across Europe

To mark International Day of Education, we are delighted to launch the DS Smith Circular Economy Lesson Plan in eleven additional languages, for teachers to use in their education plans. The announcement also comes as the European Commission publishes a proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability.

The lesson plan is now available in Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish.

Putting sustainability at the heart

Developed for secondary school pupils, aged between 11 to 14, this free resource consists of a series of assets to introduce children to the circular economy and how we can all play a part in protecting the planet's natural resources.

The circular economy plays a vital role in meeting the needs of society and protecting future generations. It sits at the heart of all we do at DS Smith, and we want to lead the way by inspiring young people and equipping them with the knowledge and resources they need to both understand what the circular economy is and, just as importantly, the role that they can play in helping to protect the world's natural resources

- Wouter van Tol, Head of Government, Community Affairs and Sustainability at DS Smith

Our Circular Economy Lesson Plan helps engage young people on the meaning and importance of circularity. The lesson includes a variety of everyday examples, entertaining activities and engaging videos to explain the difference between the linear and circular economies, and helps young people understand the importance of recycling as part of protecting our finite, natural resources. We are delighted to support the next generation on this International Day of Education, and throughout the year, to 'Go Circular'

- Sonja Peacock, Government and Community Affairs Executive at DS Smith