DS Smith

How ethical is DS Smith?

DS Smith is a corrugated packaging manufacturer which has fallen below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table. DS Smith’s below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings for pollution, political donations, and public record criticisms, each of which reflects the conduct of its parent company, International Paper, following the completion of its acquisition of DS Smith in January 2025.

What does DS Smith do?

DS Smith was founded in the United Kingdom and built a reputation as a sustainable corrugated packaging manufacturer, operating across Europe with a focus on recyclable and circular packaging solutions. In January 2025, DS Smith was acquired by International Paper Company, a NYSE-listed paper and packaging manufacturer headquartered in Tennessee. The combined entity describes itself as a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions.

Why does DS Smith fall below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s benchmark?

DS Smith’s below-benchmark performance is driven by three poor ratings, each of which arises from International Paper’s record as its parent company. The public record criticisms poor rating is the most significant. Violation Tracker records 290 penalty instances relating to International Paper totalling nearly $500 million since 2000. This is the largest penalty total of any parent company assessed in this sector, and reflects a substantial history of regulatory violations across environmental, labour, and other categories accumulated over many years of operations in the United States and internationally.

International Paper also has documented political donation activity in the United States, contributing to DS Smith’s poor political donations rating. For consumers and businesses seeking to purchase from companies free of political financial influence, this represents a concern.

The pollution poor rating reflects International Paper’s environmental record across its global manufacturing operations. These are concerns that DS Smith has inherited through its acquisition and which now form part of its ethical profile as assessed by The GOOD Shopping Guide.

DS Smith also receives a poor rating for vegan options, indicating limited focus on plant-based or vegan-certified packaging solutions within its product range.

It is worth acknowledging that DS Smith achieves good ratings for environmental report, eco certifications, animal welfare, armaments, and responsible marketing. These reflect DS Smith’s own sustainability credentials, built over many years as an independent UK company. However, the poor ratings arising from International Paper’s record now form part of DS Smith’s ethical profile, and they are concerns that The GOOD Shopping Guide cannot overlook.

Consumers seeking packaging solutions that meet The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table and our guide to ethical packaging, and prioritise brands that hold Ethical Accreditation. Several higher-ranking alternatives in this sector have achieved independent ethical verification and represent stronger choices for ethically conscious consumers. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.