Sustainability Reports | Goals & Initiatives

Working to preserve our planet

At Graham, we deliver measurable value through sustainable efforts.

Our sustainability efforts — both internally and in collaboration with our customers — have gained momentum. And our team is using that momentum to create positive change for our company, our customers and our communities. Read our 2021 Sustainability Report to learn more about our goals and initiatives.

2021 Report PDF

Planning for a more sustainable future

We know that the steps we take to protect our planet over the next five to 10 years will be critical. That’s why we’re committed to finding new solutions for our customers and facilities today, while working toward our long-term sustainability goals. These goals include:

Achieving 25% energy reduction by 2028
Increasing our use of PCR, including ocean-bound plastic, by incorporating an average of 20% PCR across all bottles by 2025
Conducting more life-cycle assessments to help communicate the value of sustainability to our customers
Innovating to provide product lightweighting, durability and reusability
Continuing to design for recyclability across all products to achieve our goal of 100% recyclability by 2025
Committing to a 30% greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2030 from our 2020 baseline

Reflecting on a year of progress

In recent years, we've taken many important steps toward our long-term goals, including increasing our use of recycled materials, embracing sustainable manufacturing practices and promoting good recycling habits. Some highlights from 2021 include:

Graham created 90.4% always-recyclable products, with its overall use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content at 7%.
The Graham Recycling Company processed 2.5 million pounds of ocean-bound plastic.
Graham reduced its water usage by 14% since 2018 and its GHG emissions by 1% since 2020.
Graham completed more than 50 life cycle assessment studies to help its customers lower their environmental impact.
Graham received a Better Project Award from the U.S. Department of Energy for an 11% reduction in annual electricity use by its plant in Florence, KY.
Two plants received International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) Plus.
Sustainalytics gave the company a top ESG rating in regional and industry categories.

Learn more about our sustainable operations and sustainable products.

Understanding what drives us

At Graham Packaging, our efforts to develop more sustainable packaging solutions are shaped by three key factors.

Download the 2020 Sustainability Report to see how these areas of focus have influenced us on our path to being a sustainability leader.

Customer Satisfaction

We work to always be the partner of choice by helping customers meet their sustainability goals now and in the future.

Graham Benchmarks

Increasing our R&D efforts, hiring the best talent and developing innovative processes and technologies helps us reach internal targets.

New Regulation

We're positioning ourselves for the future through strong sustainability partnerships and continuous improvement initiatives.

2020 Innovation Award for Innovation in Recovery

In 2020, we received an Innovation Award for Innovation in Recovery from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC). This award recognized our REFPET returnable, refillable PET containers as a leading sustainability solution.

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2019 Sustainability Award

We were honored by Business Intelligence Group as the only plastic packaging company to receive an award in their Sustainability Leadership (Organization) category. This 2019 Sustainability Award recognizes our sustainability vision and the steps we’re taking toward achieving it.

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Partnering for success

We're members of several sustainability-focused organizations and together, we're working to promote environmentally responsible behavior and enable everyone to live healthier, more sustainable lives. Learn more about our partners.