How Smurfit Westrock Manufactures Sustainable Packaging

Smurfit Westrock is a global paper and packaging company, formed in July 2024 by the merger of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock.

It has approximately 97,000 employees and 57 mills across 40 countries, operating with a focus on renewable, recyclable and paper-based solutions.

The company's 2025 Sustainability Report details its progress on circularity and environmental stewardship, offering insights into how large-scale manufacturing operations can embed sustainability across their value chains.

Embedding sustainability across operations

For manufacturing leaders, the report demonstrates how integrated sustainability strategies can be implemented across complex, multi-site operations whilst maintaining operational excellence.

The company's approach centres on three pillars: the planet, people and communities, and impactful business.

This involves a focus on the circular economy, employee engagement, meeting ethical business standards and creating innovative solutions.

Kaisa Hietala, Chair of the Sustainability Committee at Smurfit Westrock, said in the report: "I am pleased to report an important year of progress for sustainability at Smurfit Westrock. As a newly combined organisation, our focus has been on aligning strategy and ensuring that sustainability is firmly embedded in how we make decisions across the company."

Kaisa added: "In 2025, it was pleasing to see the company's approach to sustainability recognised externally with the company listed as one of the world's most sustainable companies by Sustainability Magazine.

"As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, we remain focused on continuing to strengthen our governance and disclosures, positioning us well to meet future reporting requirements."

Emissions and resource management

Smurfit Westrock's sustainability commitments include targets to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 28% by 2030, against a 2019 baseline.

It also aims to reduce its water intake by 22% in the same time period.

The company is managing its emissions by reducing energy demand, improving energy efficiency and transitioning from fossil fuels to low-carbon renewable energy.

Approximately 45% of the fibre used in Smurfit Westrock's products is from virgin materials sourced from responsibly managed forests.

This involves managing supplies of responsibly sourced, renewable fibre whilst protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.

In addition, more than 90% of the water used by the company is returned to nature, with the remaining water evaporating during its processes.

It is working to improve the quality of water discharge, reduce its water intake and better understand water-related risks.

Tony Smurfit, President and Group CEO of Smurfit Westrock, said in the report: "We are operating in increasingly challenging times, characterised by evolving and demanding regulatory standards, heightened geopolitical complexity and a global operating environment that remains dynamic and uncertain.

"These factors, whether directly or indirectly, continue to impact our business and the markets in which we operate."

Tony added: "Against this backdrop, Smurfit Westrock has remained focused on what we can control – operational excellence, disciplined execution and fulfilling our customers' needs – and we continue to deliver resilient performance, underpinned by the strength of our people, our scale and the quality of our integrated, sustainable packaging platform."

Implementing circular manufacturing models

Throughout its operations, Smurfit Westrock aims to create a circular business model that supports its own goals and helps avoid waste for its customers.

The company says the key to this is to minimise waste by finding a use for the by-products and waste streams it produces. It aims to partner with communities and stakeholders to explore new ways to further circularity in its operations and value chain.

Smurfit Westrock's corrugated packaging is designed to be circular and it is working to improve its high recycling rate and the recyclability of all of its products.

In 2024, the company's paper mills consumed approximately 13.1 million tonnes of recycled fibres. It also has a network of 25 recycled-paper depots in Europe, 32 in North America and 13 in Latin America.

Through these depots, Smurfit Westrock sources recovered paper from municipalities, retailers, industries and its own corrugating and converting operations.

The company's approach demonstrates how sustainability targets can be aligned across newly merged organisations operating at scale.

A more sustainable future

For manufacturing businesses facing similar regulatory pressures and operational challenges, Smurfit Westrock's framework could offer a reference point for developing integrated sustainability strategies.

Garrett Quinn, Group Head of Sustainability, Branding and Communications at Smurfit Westrock, said in the report: "This report clearly illustrates the actions we are taking across our business to help deliver a more sustainable future, underpinned by our customer focus, our global scale and our capital investment.

"At Smurfit Westrock, sustainability is firmly embedded in how we operate. By setting clear, measurable targets and continuing to invest in circular, paper based solutions, we are strengthening our ability to serve customers, manage risk and support the transition to a lower carbon, circular economy."