Pactiv Evergreen

What Pactiv Evergreen does

Pactiv Evergreen is a North American food and beverage packaging manufacturer formed in 2020 through the combination of Pactiv and Evergreen Packaging. The company produces a broad portfolio of cups, lids, containers, trays, tableware, films, foils, egg cartons, bakery packaging, and gable-top beverage cartons across fiber, plastic (PET, PP, PE, PS, OPS, HIPS), aluminum, and bio-based materials. It organizes its offering around six brands: EarthChoice, Greenware, Newspring, PlantCarton, Recycleware, and Reynolon, with proprietary technologies including TRU-TASTE barrier board and APR-recognized RDPP reduced-density polypropylene meat trays. Pactiv Evergreen also manufactures filling equipment installed at over 1,300 locations worldwide, creating a recurring carton-and-consumables revenue stream from dairy, juice, and food processing co-packers.

The company sells primarily through direct enterprise relationships to foodservice operators, supermarket chains, and food/beverage processors across the US, Canada, and Mexico, supplemented by a private label business for retailers. Pricing is quote-based with volume tiers and multi-year contracts, and custom printed products carry 8-10 week lead times. Five US converting facilities and an equipment manufacturing facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa provide vertically integrated production. Manufacturing certifications include SQF food safety, FSC and SFI forestry standards, BPI commercial compostability, and APR recyclability recognition.

In April 2025, Pactiv Evergreen was acquired by Novolex, a portfolio company of Apollo Global Management, in a $6.7 billion all-cash transaction that took the company private and delisted it from Nasdaq. The combined Novolex/Pactiv Evergreen entity spans more than 250 brands in fiber and plastic packaging across North America. Prior to the acquisition, Pactiv Evergreen divested non-core assets including the $110 million sale of two facilities (including the Pine Bluff paperboard mill) to Suzano in October 2024, and closed its Canton, North Carolina paper mill in May 2023.

Name

Pactiv Evergreen

Legal name

Pactiv Evergreen Inc.

Website

https://pactivevergreen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Pactiv Evergreen manufactures food and beverage packaging including cups, containers, cartons, trays, films, and filling equipment for foodservice operators, supermarket chains, and food processors across North America, operating six core brands under the Novolex/Apollo umbrella following its 2025 take-private.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food and Beverage Packaging

NAICS

Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing (322219)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600), Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650)

akta.pro primary industry

Foodservice Disposables (cups, plates, bowls, trays, clamshells) (IMAMAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foodservice/To-Go Packaging (Cups, Clamshells, Cutlery) (IMALAHAM), Non-Alcoholic Beverage Co-Packing (Soft Drinks, Juice, RTD) (AFAFAIAB)

Keywords

• Food packaging manufacturing
• Beverage cartons
• Compostable containers
• Foodservice disposables
• Fresh food packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Forest

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foodservice Packaging Products: Direct sales of disposable food service packaging including cups, lids, containers, trays, tableware, and cutlery to restaurants, institutions, and foodservice operators.
2. Retail Packaging: Supply of supermarket packaging including meat trays, produce packaging, bakery containers, and deli containers to grocery retail chains.
3. PlantCarton Beverage Cartons: Gable top aseptic cartons and filling equipment for fresh refrigerated beverages including dairy, juice, and plant-based products. Includes equipment sales, service contracts, and carton supplies.
4. Food & Beverage Processor Packaging: Packaging solutions for food and beverage manufacturers including meat trays, egg cartons, berry baskets, and filling equipment.
5. Private Label Products: Manufacturing of private label packaging products for retailers including cups, lids, plates, bowls, containers, and film wrap.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pactiv Evergreen manufactures and sells fresh food and beverage packaging products including beverage cartons, cups, lids, containers, trays, tableware, films, and aluminum catering supplies under six core brands (EarthChoice, Greenware, Newspring, PlantCarton, Recycleware, Reynolon). The company also designs, manufactures, and services filling equipment for dairy, juice, and beverage processors, with over 1,300 machine installations worldwide. Products are sold through direct sales relationships with foodservice operators, supermarket chains, food/beverage manufacturers, and private label customers across North America.

Product overview

Pactiv Evergreen is a manufacturer of food and beverage packaging products operating under the Novolex parent company following its $6.7 billion acquisition completed in April 2025. The company offers a diversified portfolio organized around six core brands: EarthChoice (sustainability-focused containers, drinkware, and tabletop), Greenware (BPI-certified compostable cups and containers from plant-based PLA), Newspring (premium injection-molded polypropylene containers), PlantCarton (gable-top cartons with 70% paper content from FSC-certified sources), Recycleware (post-consumer recycled content packaging including APR-recognized RDPP trays), and Reynolon (shrink films and meat/produce films). Beyond branded products, Pactiv Evergreen provides broad product categories including beverage cartons, food containers, drinkware, trays, film and foil, catering supplies, bakery packaging, egg packaging, produce packaging, tableware, and bags. The company also manufactures and services filling equipment (ECO-Pak, Half Gallon, Quart/Liter models) installed at over 1,300 locations globally. Recent innovation includes the SmartPour pourable container system launched in 2024. Manufacturing is predominantly USA-based with five U.S. converting facilities and an equipment manufacturing facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EarthChoice: Sustainable packaging product line offering options that address specific sustainability needs with benefits including Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, or Renew.
• Greenware
• Newspring
• PlantCarton
• Recycleware
• Reynolon
• SmartPour

Products and services

• EarthChoice Sustainability-focused packaging brand offering containers, drinkware, and tabletop products with at least one environmental benefit: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, or Renew. Includes products made from post-consumer recycled materials, renewable resources, or designed for recyclability, sold to foodservice operators, retailers, and distributors.
• Greenware

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 new product introductions in 2022 with $33 million R&D investment (50% increase year-over-year)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SuzanominorOthers · 1 October 2024Suzano acquired the Pine Bluff paperboard mill from Pactiv Evergreen in October 2024 for $110 million. Suzano invested $62 million to modernize the facility, improving safety, maintenance, and operational efficiency while restoring profitability and increasing market share in liquid packaging board.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Huhtamäki: Global foodservice and consumer goods packaging manufacturer with significant North American operations in cups, plates, containers, and folding cartons; directly comparable to Pactiv Evergreen in molded fiber, paperboard, and plastic foodservice packaging.
• Graphic Packaging Holding Company: Vertically integrated paperboard packaging producer supplying folding cartons, cups, and foodservice paper-based packaging; closest direct peer to Pactiv Evergreen's PlantCarton gable-top and paperboard container business.
• Anchor Packaging: Private US manufacturer specializing in plastic foodservice containers, clamshells, and microwaveable packaging for supermarket deli, bakery, and processor customers; directly comparable niche competitor in Pactiv Evergreen's supermarket/processor segments.
• Berry Global Group: Major global manufacturer of plastic packaging including foodservice containers, drinkware, films, and rigid packaging for grocery, foodservice, and processor customers; the most direct publicly traded comparable to Pactiv Evergreen's plastic packaging portfolio.
• Dart Container Corporation: Private US manufacturer best known for foam and plastic cups, hinged containers, and foodservice disposables, directly competing with Pactiv Evergreen in the foodservice disposables segment and overlapping heavily in foodservice and processor customers.
• Reynolds Consumer Products: Consumer-focused foodservice and storage packaging company (Hefty, Reynolds Wrap brands) with overlapping product categories in tableware, food bags, and foil; directly comparable to Pactiv's consumer-facing Reynolon and tableware lines.

Broad incumbents

• Novolex: Now the parent of Pactiv Evergreen following the $6.7B 2025 acquisition, Novolex is the largest direct competitor-turned-sibling, operating 250+ brands across paper and plastic foodservice and specialty packaging across North America.
• Sonoco Products Company: Diversified global packaging manufacturer with foodservice, rigid paper, and protective packaging segments; competes with Pactiv Evergreen in foodservice disposables, processor trays, and consumer paper-based packaging.
• Sealed Air Corporation: Major protective and food packaging manufacturer with overlapping presence in films, trays, and protein packaging; competes with Pactiv Evergreen's Reynolon film and Recycleware/RDPP tray lines for processor and retail accounts.

Emerging players

• WinCup Holdings: Manufacturer of disposable cups, foodservice containers, and straws (including the phade brand of PHA-based compostable products), an emerging sustainable foodservice player competing directly with Pactiv Evergreen's Greenware and EarthChoice lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pactivco
• Facebookfacebook.com/PactivEvergreen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pactiv

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pactiv Evergreen