Graphic Packaging International, a consumer packaging solutions provider based in the US, will build a new recycled paperboard mill in Waco, Texas, to bolster its capacity to fulfil the increasing global demand for packaging crafted from recycled materials.
The company will make a capital investment of $1bn over three years for the project, which will generate 230 new jobs in the region.
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The development of the facility in Waco represents a collaborative effort of the company in regional economic development with the City of Waco, McLennan County, the Waco Industrial Foundation and the Greater Waco Chamber.
The facility is expected to begin production in the first quarter of 2026.
Location
The new facility will be 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.
Waco 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 access to a robust supply of recycled fibre materials collected from urban areas in the vicinity.
The location will also offer rail and roadway logistics support and established water, wastewater and energy infrastructure to the facility.
Details of Graphic Packaging’s paperboard mill
The state-of-the-art mill will feature facilities for production and warehousing spanning over 640,000ft². It will be equipped with a coated recycled paperboard (CRB) machine supplied by Valmet, an industrial equipment supplier based in Finland.
The mill will utilise the latest technology to manufacture recycled paperboard, which will be used to package a variety of everyday products ranging from cereal to pasta.
The mill will recycle fibre from up to 15 million paper cups a day. It will significantly enhance the company’s ability to provide high-quality recycled paperboard to customers across the US.
Coated recycled paperboard (CRB) machine design and technology
Valmet’s state-of-the-art CRB machine will include 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 will produce 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.
The machine will be delivered with Valmet Industrial Internet services.
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 will improve the company’s overall environmental impact.
It will allow 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 will incorporate smart technologies, such as using a gas turbine to generate electricity and producing steam for paperboard drying, improving the overall efficiency and reliability.
Contractors involved
Valmet will supply the CRB machine for the facility. Voith, a technology company based in Germany, will install a complete pulping and wastewater pre-treatment system at the facility. The delivery will include 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 products companies and brands, including those in the food, beverage and food service industries.
The company’s strategy to construct a new CRB mill in Waco, Texas and to enhance the efficiency of its paperboard network in the upcoming three years will further solidify its standing as the premier producer of top-quality paperboard in North America, while maintaining the lowest production costs.
As the company optimises its paper mills and packaging facilities network, an approximately 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.
