Smurfit Westrock

How ethical is Smurfit Westrock?

Smurfit Westrock is a paper and packaging manufacturer which has fallen below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table. Smurfit Westrock’s below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings for pollution, political donations, and public record criticisms.

What does Smurfit Westrock do?

Smurfit Westrock plc was formed through the merger of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock in 2024 and is headquartered in Dublin. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Euronext Dublin, and operates more than 500 facilities across approximately 40 countries, employing over 100,000 people. Smurfit Westrock manufactures corrugated packaging, containerboard, consumer packaging, and paper products, serving customers across the food, beverage, consumer goods, and industrial sectors.

Why does Smurfit Westrock fall below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s benchmark?

Smurfit Westrock’s below-benchmark performance is driven by three significant poor ratings. The pollution poor rating is the most serious. The company’s paper mill in Covington, Virginia, was identified as the top greenhouse gas emitter among US paper mills in 2023, with an estimated 2.49 million metric tons of greenhouse gases when biogenic emissions are included. The mill, which operates boilers dating to 1940, has received more than a dozen pollution reports over the last five years, and was responsible for a wastewater spill into the Jackson River that killed 56 fish. These are not isolated incidents but reflect a pattern of environmental performance that sits well below the standard expected of a global packaging manufacturer.

Smurfit Westrock also receives a poor rating for political donations. The company operates a documented political action committee with disclosed contributions to US candidates and elected officials, and actively lobbies on packaging and environmental policy issues. For consumers and businesses seeking to purchase from companies free of political financial influence, this represents a concern.

The poor rating for public record criticisms reflects the accumulated weight of the environmental violations and public scrutiny the company has faced, particularly in relation to the Covington mill. This is the most serious rating in this category across all brands assessed in this sector.

It is worth acknowledging that Smurfit Westrock achieves good ratings across several criteria, including environmental report, toxic chemicals policy, eco certifications, animal welfare, vegan options, armaments, and responsible marketing. The breadth of these good ratings underscores that the company’s below-benchmark performance is concentrated in specific, serious areas rather than reflecting broad ethical failings across all criteria.

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.