Lancaster, Pennsylvania — (March 22, 2023)  — Graham Packaging, an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, is proud to announce the release of its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. The comprehensive report details the Pennsylvania-based company’s significant achievements last year for its customers, employees and the planet, as well as its ambitious goals for the future.

“For Graham Packaging, 2022 was a year of continued growth in our ESG efforts, building on the progress we’ve made over the past several years,” said Tracee Auld, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, Graham Packaging. “Our results confirm that we are a people, planet and values-focused company with a strong emphasis on a holistic sustainability strategy that will help us create a better tomorrow for all.”

Some highlights from the report include:

Environmental

• Graham reduced its GHG scope 1 emissions by 17% and scope 2 emissions by 10% from the previous year.
• Sustainalytics gave the company a top ESG rating in regional and industry categories, with Graham scoring second in its containers and packaging industry globally.
• 98% of Graham’s products are recyclable, with its overall post-consumer recycled (PCR) content at 7%
• Graham established targets in line with the 1.5°C target based on the latest climate science and submitted those targets for validation to the Science-Based Target initiative for review in 2023.
• Graham received the Sustainability Leadership Award from the Business Intelligence Group.
• Two additional plants received International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus certification, bringing Graham’s total to four plants that can allow for use of advanced recycled materials.

Social

• Graham reported the fewest recordable incidents in company history.
• The company launched its Blue Culture initiative, dedicated to driving a constructive culture of excellence and accountability.
• The company established its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.
• 100% of Graham’s locations participated in employee-led community service events, and 70% led two or more efforts, such as cleanup projects and clothing and food drives.
• Graham was voted one of the best workplaces in Lancaster County for the second year in a row.
• Based on its engagement survey, more than 80% of Graham’s employees reported feeling respected by their peers.

Governance

• Graham operationalized its Strategy for a Better Tomorrow, articulating how corporate principles translate into value for all of Graham’s stakeholders.
• The company continued its focus on governance and policies, expanding its internal risk area audits, beginning implementation of a new data collection software for sustainability, and identifying new tools to manage and govern internal audit pillars.

To review the complete 2022 ESG Report from Graham Packaging, visit https://www.grahampackaging.com/sustainability.

Graham Packaging was ranked in the top 2% of the more than 15,600 global companies assessed by Sustainalytics in its latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Rating. The company also received second in its containers and packaging industry category and second in its subindustry of metal and glass packaging.

In addition, Graham Packaging has been recognized as a Morningstar Sustainalytics ESG Industry Top Rated company in 2022, as well as an ESG Regional Top Rated Company.

“We are very pleased with our strong ESG Risk Rating, which demonstrates our commitment to building a sustainable future,” said Bob Pyle, president and chief executive officer of Graham Packaging. “Being a top-rated ESG company validates our sustainability efforts to our major stakeholders, including our customers, shareholder and employees. Graham is proud to be a people, planet and values-based company that is dedicated to creating a better tomorrow.”

Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings measure a company’s exposure to industry-specific material ESG risks and how well a company is managing those risks. This multi-dimensional way of measuring ESG risk combines the concepts of management and exposure to arrive at an assessment of ESG risk that is comparable across all industries. Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings distinguish between five levels of risk: negligible, low, medium, high and severe, with a lower score equating to a better risk assessment. Graham Packaging received a low-risk rating of 10.3.

“Our ESG Risk Rating shows Graham’s commitment to finding new ways to support our people and our planet,” said Tracee Auld, chief strategy and sustainability officer at Graham. “We continue to make progress on many of our goals, refining our approach and renewing our commitment to true environmental, social and ethical responsibility.”

“Graham has worked hard to look at the full value chain,” added Richa Desai, vice president of sustainability. “From aligning with the science of climate change, to improving traceability and transparency and ensuring a diverse and inclusive work environment – we are championing initiatives that will help us build a more sustainable future.”

In addition to its low-ESG-Risk Rating, Graham Packaging also received high scores for its risk management, which was double the industry average. This reflects how well Graham manages its relevant ESG issues and assesses the robustness of our sustainability programs, practices and policies.

To learn more about Graham Packaging’s sustainability efforts, please visit https://www.grahampackaging.com/sustainability.

Lancaster, PA—September 7, 2022—Graham Packaging has been named a Sustainability Leadership Award winner by the Business Intelligence Group in its 2022 Sustainability Awards program.

The Sustainability Awards honor those people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission. Graham previously won the award in 2019.

Graham is an industry leader in innovative, sustainable and creative packaging. The company is committed to finding sustainable solutions for customers today, while driving toward its long-term ESG (environmental, social, governance) goals. Graham is focused on designing innovative, sustainable and creative products; creating operational and recycling efficiencies; giving back to its community; empowering employees to be informed stewards and leading the ongoing mission to preserve the planet for future generations. Sustainability is ingrained in the company’s culture, with one of its strategic pillars being “We are Building a Sustainable Future.”

“Graham Packaging is deeply committed to sustainability,” said Bob Pyle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Graham Packaging. “Making choices that protect our people and their families, our communities and our planet continues to be an integral part of Graham Packaging. We are honored to be recognized as a company that is contributing to a more sustainable planet.”

As part of its dedication to protecting the planet, Graham has led the way in several different sustainability initiatives. These include being a founding member of the National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition, aimed at improving the recyclability of oil containers that would otherwise go to landfills, and becoming one of the first in its industry to have four locations receive their International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) Plus certifications, which allows these sites to process certified PCR created through advanced recycling.

“We are proud to reward and recognize Graham Packaging for their sustainability efforts,” said Maria Jimenez, Chief Nominations Officer, Business Intelligence Group. “It was clear to our judges that their vision and strategy will continue to deliver results toward a cleaner, more sustainable world. Congratulations!”

BRADENTON, Fla., Aug. 23, 2022  — The National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition (NLCRC) is launching an industry-first collaborative recycling pilot program that focuses on consumer plastic packaging for engine oil and other petroleum-based products.

The NLCRC, comprised of members Castrol, Valvoline, Pennzoil – Quaker State, Graham Packaging, Plastipak Packaging, Berry Global, Chevron, and the Petroleum Packaging Council, is an industry-led technical coalition focused on developing a national market-sustaining program that drives the recovery and recycling of plastic packaging used to transport lubricants and related products for commercial and consumer use.

The recycling pilot is a one-year project involving over 40 locations in Atlanta, including retail stores and auto care centers, instant oil change locations, and several commercial facilities. The pilot aims to assess and measure the economic and market drivers for post-consumer recovery and recycling, better understand consumer waste disposal behaviors, and define parameters for model development and future scalability. Project partners include retail companies, commercial entities, Safety-Kleen, and Nexus Circular.

“One of the biggest waste management challenges facing the US is our ability to collect, sort, and process plastic packaging and return it to productive use. For contaminated packaging from petroleum and related materials, this isn’t really happening. The pilot focuses on the heart of the problem – collection — to find the most efficient ways to aggregate and transport the materials to processors that want them, creating value in a waste material that doesn’t exist today.” ~ Tristan Steichen, Director of NLCRC

Addressing a challenge as complex as this is not feasible for most individual companies, particularly given the complexities of distribution, supply chains, and competition. Transforming an industry requires collaboration with all stakeholders focusing on a common goal. The NLCRC seeks to represent a single voice of the industry. We aim to make an impact on the communities where our products are disposed while delivering meaningful results to the industry, its customers, and its member companies by reducing environmental and social risk and improving sustainability performance.

Graham Packaging today announced that its Evansville, Indiana location has received its International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) PLUS. This certification enables the site to sell customers ISCC PLUS certified post-consumer resin (PCR) created through advanced recycling.

ISCC PLUS is an internationally recognized system of certifying products that result from advanced recycling using mass balance attribution of plastic waste. This certification provides traceability along the supply chain, and verifies that certified companies meet strict environmental and social standards. Graham was awarded the certificate from SCS Global Services, an international leader in third-party certification, validation, and verification for environmental, sustainability, and food safety.

“We are proud to be one of the few rigid packaging companies who are ISCC PLUS certified to use advanced PCR,” said Tracee Auld, chief sustainability and growth officer. “This is a great milestone for Graham Packaging, and will help us to meet our long-term goal of incorporating an average of 20% PCR across all bottles by 2025.”

With the ISCC PLUS certification, Graham adds advanced recycled material to its portfolio, in addition to its current use of mechanically recycled content. This advanced recycled material can be substituted for up to 100% of virgin resin in a container, delivering identical material performance while also helping to reduce the packaging’s overall carbon footprint.

“ISCC PLUS certification is a major milestone on our sustainability mission because it will allow Graham Packaging to provide our customers packaging solutions made from sustainable, food-grade PCR,” says Marcelo Passos, president of Graham’s food and nutrition business unit. “We are proud of this work to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainability.”

The company plans to earn ISCC certification for additional facilities across its global locations in the future.

“We see advanced recycling as a complementary process to mechanical recycling, and will use both in our dedicated mission to create sustainable packaging,” adds Richa Desai, director of sustainability.

LANCASTER, Pa., — (August 2, 2021) — Graham Packaging today announced the appointment of Robert Pyle as its new president and chief executive officer. In this role, Pyle assumes day-to-day leadership of Graham, guiding the company in its ongoing mission of profitable growth and creating sustainable packaging solutions. Pyle joins Graham today, Aug. 2, and is succeeding interim CEO Doug Owenby, who will return to his role as chief operating officer of Graham. Owenby served in the interim after former Graham Packaging CEO, Michael King, left in March 2021 to become CEO of Graham’s sister company, Pactiv Evergreen.

With more than 30 years of experience, Pyle has a demonstrated track record of success leading innovation and transformation across the global automotive industry. He most recently served as executive vice president of Dana and president of Light Vehicle Drive Systems, Dana’s largest business. Pyle has held various other leadership roles in the automotive industry, including president of Asia Pacific at Dana, general manager at Yanfeng Visteon – both based in Shanghai, China – and at ASIMCO Technologies headquartered in Beijing. Pyle began his career at Ford Motor Company, and later Visteon, holding roles with increasing responsibility in finance, sales operations, product development, manufacturing and general management.

“Graham Packaging is a well-known, established global company with a strong sustainability focus, an impressive list of blue-chip customers and exciting, high-volume operations,” said Pyle. “The packaging industry has many parallels to the automotive industry, where meeting customers’ evolving needs and ensuring that products meet the increasing demands of today’s consumers are critical for success. I look forward to leading Graham in maximizing its global growth opportunities while continuing to create innovative packaging solutions driving a more sustainable future.”

“Bob is a particularly strong match for Graham strategically as we pivot from a primary focus on waste elimination to a stronger emphasis on growth,” said Owenby. “Bob has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead large organizations through highly successful operational and commercial transformations, to achieve impressive growth in both revenue and profitability. We welcome Bob and are excited about the extensive knowledge and experience he brings to Graham.”

Pyle earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA in finance from the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business.