THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW

Smurfit Westrock is one of the world’ s largest producers of paperbased packaging, supplying industries ranging from retail to e-commerce. Its products are designed to replace less sustainable materials, particularly plastics, with renewable and recyclable alternatives.“ Smurfit Westrock maintains operations in 40 countries and focuses on delivering solutions rooted in circularity,” Garrett explains.

That scale presents both an opportunity and a challenge – managing environmental and social impact across more than 500 production sites requires a system that is both globally consistent and locally adaptable. It also requires leadership that understands the operational realities behind sustainability commitments.

Garrett’ s approach is grounded in integration rather than abstraction. He positions sustainability as a mechanism for growth, resilience and long-term value creation. This philosophy underpins the company’ s sustainability strategy.

Building a strategy around measurable outcomes Smurfit Westrock’ s sustainability framework is structured around three pillars:

• Planet

• People and Communities

• Impactful Business

These pillars guide decision-making across the organisation, from raw material sourcing to customer engagement.“ Our ambition is to deliver sustainable growth for the benefit of all our stakeholders,” Garrett explains.

Central to this approach is the concept of circularity. For Smurfit Westrock, this is not a new idea.“ Essentially, we need old boxes to make new ones,” Garrett says.

Garrett Quinn Chief Sustainability Officer Smurfit Westrock

20 July 2026