Greif will exit the coated recycled paperboard market and close its Sweetwater mill in Austell, Georgia, by the end of 2026 as part of a continuing review of its manufacturing portfolio.
The closure is expected to remove approximately 120,000 tonnes of annual paperboard production capacity and affect around 90 employees.
Sweetwater currently produces coated recycled paperboard, uncoated recycled paperboard and gypsum facing and backing paper grades.
Greif attributed the decision to the mill’s operating configuration, cost position and limited integration with the company’s broader production network, which it said had prevented the site from establishing a sustainable competitive position.
The company plans to work with affected customers purchasing uncoated recycled board from Sweetwater and said it expects to continue serving them through its wider North American URB mill network.
“We are making deliberate choices about where we compete and where we invest,” said Gaylord Benner, senior vice-president and general manager of Greif’s Sustainable Fiber Solutions business.
Greif said capital will instead be directed towards parts of its uncoated recycled board network that it considers better positioned for long-term growth.
The closure will mark Greif’s withdrawal from coated recycled paperboard, further reshaping the company’s fibre-based packaging portfolio.
The group has undertaken a series of portfolio and manufacturing changes in recent years as it concentrates investment on businesses where management believes it can hold stronger market positions.
For packaging converters and users of recycled paperboard, the Sweetwater decision is notable both for Greif’s full CRB exit and for the amount of capacity being removed from the North American market.
