Graphic Packaging International: products and EPD coverage

Who they are, where they play

Graphic Packaging International (graphicpkg.com) designs and manufactures paperboard and fiber-based packaging for food, beverage, foodservice, household, healthcare and beauty brands. Scale is not the question. Their 2024 reporting shows more than 2.1 million metric tons of wood‑based paperboard produced and about 1.16 million metric tons of recycled paperboard, plus detailed energy metrics by business unit (Graphic Packaging Sustainability Reporting, 2024) (Graphic Packaging Sustainability Reporting, 2024).

What they sell, in plain English

GPI’s materials portfolio centers on three board families: coated recycled board (CRB), coated or uncoated unbleached kraft often branded as CUK or SUS, and solid bleached sulfate (SBS). On top sits a wide array of converted formats like clip and fully enclosed multipacks, ovenable and microwaveable cartons, barrier‑lined PaperSeal trays, sterile medical papers, lidding films, and paperboard canisters. That’s a lot of shelf presence, and a lot of purchasing conversations to influence.

How many categories and SKUs

They serve multiple packaging categories that map to at least a dozen end markets on their site. Conservatively, the converted formats and variants across calipers, coatings, and footprints put the active SKUs in the dozens to hundreds. Exact counts are not public, and that’s fine for commercial planning.

EPD coverage today

We looked for product‑specific EPDs by Graphic Packaging in major public libraries and on the company site. As of December 11, 2025, we did not locate published, product‑specific EPDs for their CRB, CUK or SBS grades, nor for core converted lines. Their sustainability reporting is extensive, but it does not provide EPD documents per product grade.

Why that matters commercially

Retailers and multinational CPGs increasingly request EPDs for packaging materials to compare options on climate impact using a common rulebook. Even when a certification is not mandatory, having an EPD removes guesswork, so procurement teams do not default to generic, conservative factors that make bids look worse on paper. In specs where transparency earns points, the product with a third‑party verified EPD is simply easier to buy.

The gap is visible in board grades

GPI’s Waco, Texas CRB investment targets 1,500 tons per day with 20,000 tons of recovered fiber per month, and management communicated a projected double‑digit absolute GHG reduction from network optimization (Recycling Today, 2025) (Recycling Today, 2025). That is a compelling story. An EPD per board grade would turn it into comparable numbers clients can use in software, tenders and internal dashboards.

Competitors already publish EPDs buyers can cite

Several cartonboard suppliers publish product‑level EPDs under reputable operators. Billerud hosts links to multiple verified EPDs for containerboard and cartonboard families like Pure Performance and Pure Supreme (Billerud, 2025) (Billerud, 2025). CMPC publishes cartonboard EPDs in the International EPD System, for example CMPC Graphics GC1 and Uncoated Cups with current validity windows (EPD International, 2024) (EPD International, 2024). In a head‑to‑head material down‑select, published EPDs can tip the table.

Likely best‑sellers without published EPDs

Based on GPI’s portfolio, CRB for folding cartons and CUK for beverage carriers are plausible volume leaders. Without EPDs, buyers that screen for verified declarations can shortlist alternatives with published board EPDs. That means cartons and carriers could be specified to other mills even when GPI’s forming and print performance are excellent. It hurts quietly, because teams rarely see the projects they never get invited to quote.

Where GPI is strong already

Two ingredients are in place. First, measured energy intensity and fuel mix trends are public, which accelerates LCA data collection when a reference year is selected (Graphic Packaging Sustainability Reporting, 2024). Second, new mill data streams, like Waco’s planned combined heat and power gas turbine, can be modeled transparently to show improvements that customers value in year‑over‑year EPD renewals (Recycling Today, 2025).

What it would take to move

For packaging boards and converted formats, common routes include the Packaging PCR family or Processed Paper and Paperboard PCRs under established operators. A pragmatic play is to start with CRB, CUK and SBS mill‑level EPDs, then extend to high‑runner converted SKUs where brand owners ask the loudest. Pick a recent production year, lock the data owners, define facilities in scope, and publish with a program operator aligned to target markets. Once the first EPD lands, renewals and extensions get easier each cycle.

A note for construction‑adjacent sales teams

GPI sells air filter frames and healthcare packaging that often show up in building supply chains. LEED v5 draft language continues to emphasize product‑specific EPDs for many installed materials, and owner policies increasingly copy that idea for indirects. Packaging EPDs may not score building credits, yet they absolutely simplify corporate carbon accounting in the same procurement stacks. Being EPD‑ready keeps doors open.

Where to read more from GPI

Their sustainability section provides production, energy, and sourcing data, plus the latest ESG narrative. It is a good starting point for scoping LCA boundaries and choosing the reference year (Graphic Packaging Sustainability, 2024). If that page updates, refresh assumptions before kicking off modeling.

The take‑home for manufacturers

If a competitor’s board or carton ships with an EPD and yours does not, every RFP that weights transparency becomes a tougher climb. Getting one high‑runner grade declared turns a giant ship a few degrees and makes the next declaration faster. Data proccess and project management are the hard parts, not the math. Tackle those with a team that removes internal busywork so engineers and plant leaders can stay focused on throughput and quality.