Graham Packaging Wins 2020 SPC Innovator Award for Innovation in Recovery

REFPET returnable, refillable bottles recognized by Sustainable Packaging Coalition

Lancaster, Pennsylvania – (October 14, 2020) – Graham Packaging, an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, was identified by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) as an innovator of reusable packaging, winning the Innovation in Recovery award. Specifically, the SPC recognized Graham’s REFPET returnable, refillable PET containers as a leading sustainability solution that results in 47% longer reuse cycles than its previous generations of REFPET bottles.

Graham’s REFPET containers have been used to package beverages for large, well-known brands for over 30 years, but a recent creative upgrade solved a persistent challenge that faces most reusable packaging. When a bottle is reused, significant wear and scuffing can occur, which reduces the number of times the bottle can be reused before its aesthetic properties become unacceptable.

To combat this problem, Graham added a bubble texture to their REFPET Generation III bottles. This texture has increased the containers’ average number of reuse cycles from 17 to 25. The SPC recognized this effort by awarding Graham with a 2020 Innovator Award for Innovation in Recovery. They also noted that rather than avoiding the problem, the Graham team embraced the challenge to create a solution that both mitigated a loss and enhanced the visual appearance of the container.

“For us, sustainability is a part of everything we do, and innovation is core to who we are,” said Tracee Auld, chief sustainability officer at Graham Packaging Company. “To be recognized by a body such as the Sustainable Packaging Coalition says a lot about where we are already and where we need to continue to focus our efforts to deliver innovative, sustainable products.”

For more information on the SPC Innovator Award, visit https://sustainablepackaging.org/2020-spc-innovator-awards-innovation-in-recovery-winner-graham-packaging-company/. To learn more about Graham Packaging’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.grahampackaging.com/SPCAward.

About Graham Packaging

Graham Packaging is an industry leading solutions provider for sustainable packaging and a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of technology-based, customized blow-molded plastic containers for a variety of branded markets, including food and beverage, household, personal care and automotive lubricants. Headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with its flagship manufacturing facility in nearby York, Pennsylvania, Graham Packaging produces more than 16 billion container units annually at almost 70 plants in North America, Asia, Europe and South America. In 2011, Graham Packaging was acquired by Reynolds Group Holdings, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of consumer food and beverage packaging and storage products. For additional information on Graham Packaging, please visit https://www.grahampackaging.com/.

Contact:
Steve Graham
Godfrey
717-393-3831, x192
sgraham@godfrey.com

Sarah Poliski
Godfrey
717-393-3831, x130
spoliski@godfrey.com