Graphic Packaging International, a consumer packaging solutions provider based in the US, opened its new recycled paperboard mill in Waco, Texas, in November 2025.
The company unveiled its plan to build the new facility in early 2023 with a capital investment of $1bn over three years to bolster its capacity to fulfil the increasing global demand for packaging crafted from recycled materials.
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The project created approximately 230 new jobs in the region.
The development of the facility in Waco represents a collaborative effort among the company, the City of Waco, McLennan County, the Waco Industrial Foundation, and the Greater Waco Chamber.
Location of Graphic Packaging’s manufacturing facility
The new site is built on a 119-acre greenfield site in the Texas Central Park industrial area on Gateway Boulevard.
Located on the intersection of Interstate 35 and Texas Highway 6, Texas Central Park is the largest industrial park in Waco.
The city was chosen for the facility due to its strategic location within the Texas triangle formed by San Antonio, Dallas and Houston.
It makes the facility easily accessible to approximately 80% of the Texas population within a 200-mile radius, as well as providing access to a robust supply of recycled fibre materials collected from urban areas in the vicinity.
The location also has rail and roadway logistics support and established water, wastewater and energy infrastructure to the facility.
Details of Graphic Packaging’s paperboard mill
The mill features facilities for production and warehousing spanning over 640,000ft² (59,458m²). It is equipped with a coated recycled paperboard (CRB) machine supplied by Valmet, a Finland-based industrial equipment supplier.
The mill utilises the latest technology to manufacture recycled paperboard, which is used to package various everyday products ranging from cereal to pasta.
The mill recycles fibre from up to 15 million paper cups a day. It also enhances the company’s ability to provide high-quality recycled paperboard to customers across the US.
Coated recycled paperboard machine design and technology
Valmet’s CRB machine includes equipment for stock preparation, a board machine with an extensive process ventilation scope, approach flow systems, a wide Valmet DNA automation package and a winder.
It produces CRB grades, specifically white line chipboard (WLC) grades with a production capacity of approximately 500,000 short tonnes a year, equivalent to 456,000 metric tonnes.
Valmet Industrial Internet services delivered the machine.
Sustainable features of the facility
The Waco mill is designed to facilitate the recycling of 100% of the paperboard side rolls and waste produced by the company. It improves the company’s overall environmental impact.
It allows a variety of recyclable materials to be effectively cleaned and separated, enhancing the circular economy benefits of recycled paperboard and leading to a potential decrease in overall greenhouse gas emissions.
The mill incorporates smart technologies such as a gas turbine to generate electricity and produce steam for paperboard drying, improving the overall efficiency and reliability.
Contractors involved
Valmet supplied the CRB machine for the facility. Voith, a technology company based in Germany, installed a complete pulping and wastewater pre-treatment system at the facility.
The delivery included multiple stock preparation lines, integrated reject handling and the wastewater pre-treatment system for the mill.
Marketing commentary on Graphic Packaging International
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Graphic Packaging is committed to providing sustainable fibre-based packaging solutions to a wide range of consumer product companies across various industries, including food, beverage and food service.
The company’s strategy to construct a new CRB mill in Waco, Texas, and to enhance the efficiency of its paperboard network further solidifies its standing as the premier producer of top-quality paperboard in North America.
As the company optimises its paper mills and packaging facilities network, approximately a 12% reduction in its absolute greenhouse gas emissions is expected in the future.
The company has 130 facilities worldwide with a workforce of more than 24,000 employees.
Operating globally, it is one of the largest producers of folding cartons and fibre-based food service products in the US and Europe.
