Domtar makes a special effort to celebrate Earth Week every year by focusing on small actions that can have big results in our communities and for our planet. Earth Week 2025 was no exception.
Most of our Domtar locations organized volunteer teams to clean up highways, maintain local hiking trails and pick up trash onsite and in their communities. They also served at local food banks, organized giveaways and raffles, and engaged with local schools. Such events make it easy to connect with nature and can inspire more sustainable living.
For many sites, this was the first opportunity to introduce the new Domtar Connects employee engagement and community impact program. Currently, Domtar has 26 Domtar Connects teams across the company, with the goal to have a team at every site.
“Domtar Connects is designed to engage employees, align with our corporate values and maximize our impact,” says Jennifer Johnson, vice president, global communications. "The program reflects our long-standing commitment to helping communities thrive. Every dollar donated, every hour volunteered, and every act of kindness contributes to stronger, more connected communities for all.”
Heather Stowe, corporate social responsibility manager, agrees: “All of our locations are already working in and serving their communities. This program gives us a concise way to have one goal, one mission, one company.”
Take a look at some of the Earth Week 2025 activities that our Domtar Connectors and other Domtar volunteers organized this year.
Ashdown Mill: Seedling Giveaway, Water Filtration Upgrade
Domtar Connectors in Ashdown, Arkansas, hosted several events during Earth Week 2025. On April 21, they celebrated an initiative to reduce the use of single-use plastic water bottles at the mill. Each mill employee received a reusable water container that they can fill at one of 30 new quadruple-filtered, full-service water filtration units across the mill. Other activities included volunteering at local food banks and cleaning up a nearby stretch of highway.
Earth Week 2025 ended with a free seedling giveaway on April 25. The Ashdown Forestry/Procurement team gave away more than 1,300 seedlings at the city farmers market and to mill employees.
Hawesville Mill: Hike With Sasquatch
To encourage people to spend more time connecting with nature, our Hawesville Mill hosted its annual Earth Day Fun Hike and Bigfoot Hunt on April 12. The event gave kids a chance to hike on the trails at Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation and Recreation Area and participate in a fun scavenger hunt.
“We had food donated by USA DeBusk, earth- and energy-friendly prizes and an art contest, and Sasquatch himself was in the rock shelter to meet hikers and take pictures,” says Melanie Howard, CI and chip quality coordinator at the mill. “We had a really good turnout, and the kids had a great time.”
Johnsonburg Mill: Earth Week 2025 Recycling Drives
At Johnsonburg Mill, Earth Week 2025 focused on recycling. Employees were encouraged to bring in old electronics and ink cartridges to be properly disposed of at the local recycling center. The mill also hosted a NexTrex recycling event. Employees could donated plastic film, such as single-use grocery and food storage bags, dry cleaning bags, bubble wrap and pallet wrap, to be recycled into TREX benches that will be placed around the Johnsonburg community.
Other activities included a drive to collect prescription eyeglasses and safety glasses, which were donated to the local Lions Club, and a book exchange, where mill employees could bring in gently used books to be exchanged, donated or recycled.
Kingsport Mill: Battery and Cardboard Recycling
Recycling was also a focus at our Kingsport Mill. Employees were encouraged to drop off lithium or alkaline batteries during Earth Week 2025 so they could be properly recycled.
In addition, volunteers highlighted the permanent cardboard recycling opportunity that’s available at Kingsport, which produces 100-percent recycled containerboard. The mill has three dumpsters where employees can place cardboard from mill operations or from home so that it can be immediately recycled in the mill.
Kingsport Mill volunteers also participated in the Kingsport Spring Cleanup, which helped beautify the community by picking up litter and other debris. And finally, they planted a tree in honor of Bonnie Depew, environmental manager at Kingsport Mill. “Bonnie has been with us for 34 years and tirelessly focuses on sustainability for the mill and our community,” says Executive Assistant Robin Mullins.
Montreal Office: Seminars on Sustainable Eating
Domtar’s Montreal, Quebec, office hosted in-person and virtual seminars that raised awareness of the Leucan Ultramarathon and sustainable farming and consumption.
- The Leucan Ultramarathon supports children with cancer and their families, and several Domtar employees from across Quebec are involved with the event.
- Domtar Connectors hosted a virtual seminar that was available to all Domtar employees working in Quebec. It focused on sharing simple and concrete ideas for eating better — for your health and that of the planet.
- Domtar Connectors hosted Lufa Farms for a separate program later in April, giving the growers an opportunity to share their passion for building a more sustainable, local and intelligent food system. Lufa Farms’ mission is to grow food where people live — and grow it more sustainably.
Nekoosa Mill: Plants, Seeds and Books
For our Nekoosa Mill, plants and books took center stage during Earth Week 2025. Domtar Connectors visited Humke Elementary School and Chahk-Ha-Chee Head Start to read “Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years” to kindergarten and preschool students. More than 80 students received a free copy of the book to take home, and they worked on special projects to make seed balls and plant succulents.
Ginny Johnson, Nekoosa Mill executive assistant and business relations coordinator, says, “We also refreshed the soil in three raised bed planters behind Humke Elementary and revisited two Emerald Luster maples that we planted in April 2016 on the playground at Chahk-Ha-Chee Head Start. Those trees are growing and thriving, and they provide more shade for the kids each year.”
