Graphic Packaging’s under-construction Waco, Texas, mill is expected to become operational in 2026. The new recycled paperboard mill is being planned with advanced innovations and the best technologies to aid capacity addition, recycling, and sustainability goals of the company.
Sep 6, 2023
Graphic Packaging announced its Waco, Texas, mill site in early 2023 to meet the growing demand for more sustainable product packaging, as part of a growing movement to protect the environment by reducing waste. The new recycled paperboard, a responsible packaging alternative, facility is under construction and is expected to ramp up production in 2026.
The market and company have high hopes for the Waco facility. The new paper machine is modeled after the company’s state-of-the-art machine in Kalamazoo, Michigan (known as K2), which came online in 2022 and reached full capacity within 12 months. The mill will feature smart technologies such as a gas turbine, to generate all the electricity needed by the mill, as well as produce steam for paperboard drying, which will improve overall efficiency and reliability. Graphic Packaging specializes in turning fiber into coated recycled board (CRB). In 2022 alone, the company repurposed about 1.2 million tons of packaging waste and scrap paper into CRB. When complete, the cutting-edge Waco facility will be able to recycle fiber from up to 15 million paper cups a day, dramatically boosting Graphic Packaging’s capacity to offer high-quality recycled paperboard to customers across the U.S.
Watch: JMC Paper Tech Launches New Subsidiary JMC Papers
Mr. Michael P. Doss, President & CEO of Graphic Packaging, commented, “Today, a large percentage of our paperboard waste that we cannot recycle is exported. Our Waco mill is designed to enable the recycling of 100 percent of our own internally generated paperboard side rolls and waste.”
With an opportune location, the new mill will enjoy access to a strong supply of recycled fiber material from urban centers in the region. Additionally, the plant is slated to improve the company’s overall environmental footprint. As Graphic Packaging optimizes its network of paper mills and packaging facilities, absolute greenhouse gas emissions are projected to decrease by about 12 percent.
Mr. Doss further stated, “The main driver for the move is the end-use consumer. They’re concerned about landfills filling up and pollution in general, and we take those concerns very seriously. We’re responding with big investments in our coated recycled paperboard mill in Kalamazoo, and now this new greenfield mill in Waco. I know this facility will be a great part of the Waco community. It’ll help support that shift in society towards a circular economy – and that’s really exciting for us.”
