Sealed Air Corporation (SEE): Análisis PESTLE [Actualizado en enero de 2025]

En el mundo dinámico del envasado global, Selled Air Corporation (ver) se encuentra en la encrucijada de la innovación, la sostenibilidad y la complejidad estratégica. A medida que las industrias evolucionan y aumenta la conciencia ambiental, esta potencia multinacional navega por un laberinto de desafíos políticos, económicos y tecnológicos que remodelan el futuro de las soluciones de empaque. Desde tecnologías biodegradables de vanguardia hasta intrincadas dinámicas globales de la cadena de suministro, el viaje de Selled Air refleja el panorama multifacético de los negocios modernos, donde la adaptabilidad y la previsión estratégica no son solo ventajas, sino necesidades absolutas para la supervivencia y el crecimiento.

Selled Air Corporation (ver) - Análisis de mortero: factores políticos

Políticas comerciales de EE. UU. Impacto en las cadenas de suministro de envases globales

A partir de 2024, Selled Air Corporation enfrenta desafíos importantes de las políticas comerciales de los Estados Unidos, con impactos específicos en las cadenas de suministro internacionales:

Aspecto de la política comercial	Impacto financiero
Sección 301 aranceles sobre las importaciones chinas	Costo arancelario adicional del 25% en los materiales de embalaje
Cumplimiento del acuerdo comercial de USMCA	Costos de adaptación regulatoria anual de $ 12.3 millones

Tensiones geopolíticas que afectan las operaciones de fabricación

Los riesgos geopolíticos actuales influyen directamente en la estrategia de fabricación internacional de Air sellado:

• Tensiones comerciales de US-China aumentando los costos de reubicación de fabricación estimados en $ 47.6 millones
• Gastos de diversificación de fabricación europea proyectados en $ 31.2 millones
• Las inversiones de reconfiguración de la cadena de suministro alcanzan $ 88.5 millones en 2024

Requisitos de cumplimiento regulatorio

El aire sellado navega por paisajes regulatorios globales complejos con inversiones sustanciales de cumplimiento:

Región	Gasto de cumplimiento	Regulaciones clave
unión Europea	$ 22.7 millones	Reach, directivas ROHS
Estados Unidos	$ 18.3 millones	EPA, regulaciones de embalaje de la FDA
Asia-Pacífico	$ 16.5 millones	Regulaciones de control químico

Incentivos de sostenibilidad del gobierno

Aire sellado Aprovecha programas de sostenibilidad gubernamental con inversiones estratégicas:

• Subvenciones de fabricación de Departamento de Energía de EE. UU.: $ 7.2 millones
• Incentivos de economía circular de la UE: 5.6 millones de euros
• Créditos fiscales de reducción de carbono: $ 9.4 millones

Selled Air Corporation (ver) - Análisis de mortero: factores económicos

Fluctuando los costos de las materias primas que afectan los gastos de producción de envases

Selled Air Corporation experimentó la volatilidad del costo de materia prima en 2023, con precios de polietileno que van desde $ 0.55 a $ 0.75 por libra. El costo de los bienes de la Compañía vendidos (COGS) para los materiales de empaque aumentó en un 7,2% en comparación con el año fiscal anterior.

Materia prima	Rango de precios 2023	Impacto en el costo
Polietileno	$ 0.55 - $ 0.75/lb	Aumento de los engranajes de 7.2%
Polipropileno	$ 0.60 - $ 0.80/lb	6.5% de aumento de costos de producción

Incertidumbre económica global que impacta la demanda de envases

En 2023, la demanda de envasado global de Selled Air experimentó fluctuaciones en diferentes sectores. La compañía informó una reducción general del 3.5% en el volumen de envasado en comparación con 2022.

Sector industrial	Cambio de demanda de embalaje	Impacto de ingresos
Envasado de alimentos	+2.1%	$ 345 millones
Embalaje industrial	-5.7%	$ 212 millones
Embalaje de atención médica	+1.3%	$ 176 millones

Presiones inflacionarias Los precios desafiantes y los márgenes de beneficio

Selled Air Corporation enfrentó desafíos inflacionarios significativos en 2023, con el índice de precios al consumidor (IPC) que impacta los gastos operativos. El margen bruto de la compañía disminuyó de 22.5% en 2022 a 19.8% en 2023.

Métrica financiera	Valor 2022	Valor 2023	Cambio porcentual
Margen bruto	22.5%	19.8%	-12%
Gastos operativos	$ 1.2 mil millones	$ 1.35 mil millones	+12.5%

Interrupciones continuas de la cadena de suministro aumentando la complejidad operativa

Los desafíos de la cadena de suministro continuaron afectando la eficiencia operativa de Selled Air en 2023. La compañía experimentó un aumento promedio del tiempo de entrega de 15 días para materiales de envasado crítico.

Métrica de la cadena de suministro	Rendimiento 2022	2023 rendimiento
Tiempo de entrega del material promedio	22 días	37 días
Costos de retención de inventario	$ 245 millones	$ 312 millones

Selled Air Corporation (ver) - Análisis de mortero: factores sociales

Creciente demanda de consumidores de soluciones de envasado sostenible

El tamaño del mercado global de envasado sostenible alcanzó los $ 237.8 mil millones en 2022 y se proyecta que crecerá a $ 305.31 mil millones para 2027 a una tasa compuesta anual de 5.2%.

Preferencia de sostenibilidad del consumidor	Porcentaje
Prefiere el embalaje ecológico	73%
Dispuesto a pagar la prima por el embalaje sostenible	57%
Considere el empaque El impacto ambiental en la compra	64%

Mayor conciencia del impacto ambiental en el diseño de envases

El embalaje de Bubble World ™ de Selled Air redujo el uso de plástico en un 15,2% en 2023.

Métrica de impacto ambiental	2023 datos
Reducción de la huella de carbono	22.4%
Contenido reciclado en el embalaje	37.6%

Cambiando la dinámica del lugar de trabajo que requiere modelos de empleo flexibles

Tasa de adopción de trabajo remoto en la industria del embalaje: 42% a partir de 2023.

Métrica de flexibilidad de empleo	Porcentaje
Adopción del modelo de trabajo híbrido	38%
Trabajadores remotos a tiempo completo	19%

Creciente expectativas de iniciativas de responsabilidad social corporativa

El aire sellado invirtió $ 45.3 millones en programas de RSE en 2023.

Categoría de inversión de CSR	Monto de la inversión
Sostenibilidad ambiental	$ 22.7 millones
Desarrollo comunitario	$ 12.5 millones
Programas de bienestar de empleados	$ 10.1 millones

Selled Air Corporation (ver) - Análisis de mortero: factores tecnológicos

Automatización avanzada en procesos de fabricación de envases

Selled Air invirtió $ 78.3 millones en tecnologías de automatización de fabricación en 2023. La compañía desplegó 37 sistemas robóticos en sus 59 instalaciones de fabricación globales. La implementación de la automatización dio como resultado un aumento del 22% en la eficiencia de producción y la reducción del 16% en los costos laborales.

Métrico de automatización	2023 datos
Inversión total de automatización	$ 78.3 millones
Sistemas robóticos desplegados	37 unidades
Aumento de la eficiencia de producción	22%
Reducción de costos de mano de obra	16%

Inversiones en IA y aprendizaje automático para la innovación de productos

El aire sellado asignó $ 45.6 millones para la IA y el desarrollo de aprendizaje automático y el desarrollo de aprendizaje automático en 2023. La compañía presentó 14 nuevas patentes relacionadas con las tecnologías de envasado impulsadas por la IA.

AI Métrica de innovación	2023 datos
Inversión de I + D	$ 45.6 millones
Patentes relacionadas con la IA archivadas	14 patentes

Desarrollo de tecnologías de envasado biodegradables y reciclables

Selled Air comprometió $ 62.4 millones al desarrollo de tecnología de empaque sostenible en 2023. La compañía logró un 43% de contenido reciclable en sus soluciones de empaque, con un objetivo del 60% para 2025.

Métrica de sostenibilidad	2023 datos
Inversión en tecnología sostenible	$ 62.4 millones
Contenido reciclable actual	43%
Objetivo de contenido reciclable	60% para 2025

Transformación digital de la cadena de suministro y las plataformas de participación del cliente

Selled Air invirtió $ 53.2 millones en iniciativas de transformación digital en 2023. La compañía implementó un sistema de gestión de la cadena de suministro basado en la nube y mejoró sus plataformas de interacción con el cliente digital.

Métrica de transformación digital	2023 datos
Inversión de transformación digital	$ 53.2 millones
Nuevas plataformas digitales implementadas	Sistema de gestión de la cadena de suministro basado en la nube

Selled Air Corporation (ver) - Análisis de mortero: factores legales

Regulaciones ambientales estrictas que rigen materiales de embalaje

Requisitos de cumplimiento regulatorio de la EPA:

Categoría de regulación	Detalles de cumplimiento	Impacto anual de costos
Reducción de desechos plásticos	Conoce las pautas de gestión de materiales sostenibles de la EPA	$ 3.7 millones
Estándares de reciclaje	90% Cumplimiento de la Ley de Conservación y Recuperación de Recursos	$ 2.5 millones
Control de emisiones químicas	Emisiones de VOC por debajo de 50 partes por millón	$ 1.8 millones

Protección de propiedad intelectual para innovaciones de embalaje

Análisis de cartera de patentes:

Categoría de patente	Número de patentes activas	Gastos anuales de protección de IP
Tecnología de envasado	127 patentes activas	$ 4.2 millones
Innovaciones de ciencias de materiales	86 patentes activas	$ 3.6 millones

Cumplimiento de los estándares de comercio internacional y de fabricación

Métricas de cumplimiento regulatorio global:

• Certificación ISO 9001: 2015 en 18 instalaciones de fabricación
• Cumplimiento de la regulación alcanzada: 100% de transparencia de ingredientes químicos
• Carrera técnica de la OMC para el cumplimiento del acuerdo comercial: inversión anual de $ 5.9 millones

Desafíos legales potenciales relacionados con reclamos de sostenibilidad

Evaluación de riesgos de litigio de sostenibilidad:

Categoría de riesgo legal	Exposición financiera potencial	Presupuesto de estrategia de mitigación
Reclamos de lavado verde	$ 12.3 millones de responsabilidad potencial	Fondo de defensa legal de $ 3.7 millones
Litigio de desempeño ambiental	$ 8.6 millones posibles acuerdos	Monitoreo de cumplimiento de $ 2.9 millones

Selled Air Corporation (ver) - Análisis de mortero: factores ambientales

Compromiso con la economía circular y las soluciones de envasado sostenible

Selled Air Corporation ha establecido un 2025 Meta de sostenibilidad y economía circular con objetivos específicos:

Métrica de sostenibilidad	Objetivo
Embalaje reciclable o reutilizable	100% para 2025
Contenido reciclado en el embalaje	50% para 2025
Reducción de gases de efecto invernadero	Reducción del 25% para 2025

Reducción de la huella de carbono en las operaciones de fabricación

Métricas de reducción de emisiones de carbono para Selled Air Corporation:

Año	Emisiones totales de carbono (toneladas métricas)	Porcentaje de reducción
2022	378,000	12.5%
2023	335,000	11.4%

Desarrollo de alternativas de embalaje ecológicas

Portafolio de productos de envasado ecológico de Selled Air:

• Envoltura de burbujas hecha de contenido reciclado al 90%
• Servicios de diseño de embalaje de aire sellado que reduce el uso del material en un 30%
• Soluciones de embalaje de alimentos biodegradables de Cryovac®

Implementación de estrategias integrales de reducción de residuos

Datos de rendimiento de gestión de residuos:

Categoría de desechos	Volumen 2022 (toneladas)	Volumen 2023 (toneladas)	Porcentaje de reducción
Desechos de fabricación	12,500	9,800	21.6%
Desechos plásticos	7,200	5,600	22.2%

Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) - PESTLE Analysis: Social factors

You're looking at Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) and trying to map the social currents that will either lift or sink its 2025 performance. The clear takeaway is this: consumer demand for sustainability and value is reshaping the packaging landscape right now, but the company's core mission-food safety and product protection-remains a powerful, non-negotiable anchor.

This isn't just about 'going green' anymore; it's about shifting market share by meeting a consumer who is both cost-pressured and environmentally aware. We see this tension playing out directly in their Food segment's strategy and their ambitious 2025 sustainability targets.

Growing consumer demand for sustainable and eco-friendly packaging solutions.

The push for sustainable packaging is no longer a niche trend; it's a massive market driver. The sustainable packaging market is projected to grow from an estimated $292.71 billion in 2024 to $423.56 billion by 2029, reflecting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.67%. This growth rate alone tells you the urgency of the shift.

American consumers are defintely putting their money where their values are. As of early 2025, 54% of US consumers reported deliberately choosing products with eco-friendly packaging in the past six months, and a compelling 73% are open to switching to a brand that offers more sustainable options. This creates both a significant risk for non-compliant legacy products and a huge opportunity for Sealed Air's new portfolio.

The company has a clear, time-bound response to this social pressure, which is critical for investor confidence:

• 100% Recyclable or Reusable: Sealed Air pledged to design and advance all packaging solutions to be 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025.
• Recycled Content Target: They targeted achieving 50% average recycled content across all packaging solutions.
• Post-Consumer Content: Within that target, 60% is specifically slated to be post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, which directly addresses plastic waste concerns.

Shift in consumer spending from food service to retail, favoring the Food segment's Cryovac solutions.

Economic headwinds are forcing consumers to pinch pennies, and that means fewer restaurant meals (food service) and more cooking at home (retail grocery). This shift is a net positive for Sealed Air's Food segment, which relies heavily on retail-ready packaging like its Cryovac brand solutions for fresh protein.

Honesty, cost-pressured consumers are driving a strategic rotation. CEO Dustin Semach explicitly stated in Q2 2025 that the company plans to 'rotate more into retail than food service' to capture this trend. This is a smart, tactical move.

Here's the quick math on the Food segment's resilience in 2025, even with market pressures like the volatile beef cycle:

Sealed Air Food Segment Performance	Q3 2025 Net Sales	Year-over-Year Change
Food Segment Net Sales	$910 million	Up 1.3%
North American Volume	Softness due to market pressures (e.g., beef cycle)	Down mid-single digits (Q3 beef slaughter forecast worse than 2024)
Strategic Focus	Case-Ready Solutions in Retail	Taking market share

The segment's revenue growth, albeit modest, shows it is successfully offsetting North American volume softness by gaining share in the retail market with its case-ready solutions.

The core business serves essential needs like food safety and product protection for e-commerce.

Sealed Air's business is fundamentally tied to two non-cyclical, essential social needs: keeping food safe and ensuring e-commerce purchases arrive intact. These are the foundation of consumer trust.

For the Food segment, practical considerations like food safety and shelf life are consistently the most important packaging attributes for consumers, with 60% to 70% of European consumers in a 2025 survey rating them as 'extremely important' or 'very important.' Cryovac's ability to extend the shelf life of fresh protein directly addresses the social problem of food waste, which is a key consumer concern.

For the Protective segment, the continued rise of e-commerce is the engine. The global bubble wrap packaging market, which includes the iconic Bubble Wrap brand, is predicted to grow to $7.33 billion by 2032 from $5.79 billion in 2024, driven by the consumer preference for fast, damage-free deliveries. This is a stable growth driver.

Increased focus on supply chain transparency and product traceability by consumers.

Consumers want to know where their food and goods come from and that they were handled safely. This social demand for transparency is pushing the industry toward smart packaging (packaging that uses technology to track and monitor products), which is a clear opportunity for Sealed Air's automation and digital solutions.

The company is already moving on this. In March 2025, Sealed Air designed its AI-enhanced 'SmartProtect' system, which uses IoT-enabled sensors to monitor production and will eventually be leveraged to provide data analytics on product journey and integrity. This kind of innovation is crucial for securing high-value contracts with major food processors and retailers who need to meet consumer and regulatory demands for traceability.

This focus on digital traceability helps reduce food and packaging waste, plus it improves operational efficiency throughout the product lifecycle. It's a dual-win strategy.

Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) - PESTLE Analysis: Technological factors

Strategic Focus on Automation

Sealed Air Corporation's (SEE) technology strategy is fundamentally anchored in automation, moving the business beyond just selling consumables to offering integrated equipment systems. This focus is a direct response to rising labor costs and the need for higher throughput in e-commerce and food processing. The company has set an aggressive goal to more than double its automation portfolio revenue to exceed $1 billion by 2027.

This target implies a current automation sales base of at least $500 million, making it a significant growth driver against a backdrop where the company's full-year 2025 Net Sales are projected to be around $5.3 billion. The shift is strategic: once a customer installs Sealed Air's equipment, they are likely locked into buying the company's high-margin packaging materials (consumables) for years. This creates a powerful, sticky revenue stream.

• Automated equipment reduces customer labor costs.
• Systems create a long-term, high-margin consumables revenue base.
• Automation is a key pillar to offset volume weakness in the Protective segment.

Investment in Digital Packaging Solutions: prismiq™

The prismiq™ brand represents Sealed Air's push into digital packaging (or 'smart packaging'), which translates complex supply chain data into actionable insights for customers. The company has invested approximately $100 million in its digital transformation, a clear signal that digital capabilities are now core to the business model. This includes the development of the prismiq™ 5540, which is marketed as the world's largest and fastest flexible digital printing system.

prismiq™ solutions generate package-specific digital IDs using scannable codes, like QR codes or RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tags, which collect and manage data across the value chain. This digital intelligence is not just a feature; it is a tool for supply chain optimization, helping customers manage inventory, reduce waste, and improve end-user engagement. Honest to goodness, this is where the margin expansion will come from.

Development of Sensor-Enabled and Bio-Based Packaging

Technology is also driving product innovation in sustainability and food safety, which are two major consumer and regulatory pressures. In November 2025, Sealed Air launched a new smart packaging solution featuring embedded sensors for perishable foods like dairy, meats, and fresh produce. This system provides real-time data on temperature and freshness, drastically improving cold chain logistics and product integrity.

On the materials front, the company is accelerating its shift to bio-based and recyclable materials. This is part of a public pledge to design or advance 100% of its packaging materials to be recyclable or reusable by the end of 2025. What this estimate hides is the complexity of scaling new materials, but the commitment is defintely a technological driver.

Technological Innovation Area	2025 Status / Metric	Strategic Impact
Automation Portfolio Goal	Target to exceed $1 billion in revenue by 2027	Creates high-retention, high-margin consumables revenue.
Digital Transformation Investment	Approx. $100 million investment (as of 2022)	Funds prismiq™ digital printing and smart packaging capabilities.
Smart Packaging Launch	New embedded sensor solution launched in November 2025	Enables real-time freshness monitoring for perishable goods.
Sustainable Material Pledge	Goal to make 100% of packaging recyclable/reusable by 2025	Drives R&D into bio-based and curbside recyclable films.
Capital Expenditures (9M 2025)	$134 million spent	Indicates continued investment in operational and technological upgrades.

Launch of the AUTOBAG 850HB Hybrid Bagging System

The launch of the AUTOBAG 850HB Hybrid Bagging Machine on September 16, 2025, is a concrete example of how automation and sustainability are converging. This automated system is engineered to run both traditional poly mailers and the newer curbside recyclable paper mailers on a single machine.

This hybrid capability is crucial for e-commerce, allowing fulfillment operations to quickly adapt to shifting material requirements-say, switching from plastic to paper-with minimal downtime. The machine features a quick material changeover in approximately two minutes, which is a huge efficiency gain for high-volume logistics providers. It's a smart piece of equipment that solves a customer's material flexibility problem without sacrificing the packing speed they need.

Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) - PESTLE Analysis: Legal factors

Shareholder investigation launched into the CD&R deal over potential fiduciary duty violations.

You need to understand that the proposed acquisition of Sealed Air Corporation by CD&R (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice) immediately created a legal risk for the Board of Directors, which is now the focus of multiple shareholder rights firms. On November 17, 2025, the all-cash transaction was announced, valuing the company at an enterprise value of $10.3 billion, with shareholders set to receive $42.15 per share. The issue is whether the Board fulfilled its fiduciary duty-the legal obligation to act in the best interest of all shareholders-by securing the highest possible value.

Firms like Johnson Fistel, the Ademi Firm, and Brodsky & Smith launched investigations almost immediately, claiming the price may undervalue the company. This isn't just noise; it's a legal challenge that can delay or even derail the deal, forcing the Board to defend its valuation process in court. This whole situation puts a clear cloud of litigation risk over the entire transaction.

Merger agreement includes restrictive clauses and penalties against competitive offers.

The definitive merger agreement contains several legal mechanisms designed to protect the deal with CD&R, but these are exactly what the shareholder investigations are scrutinizing. These clauses, often called termination fees, are essentially penalties that make it expensive for Sealed Air Corporation to accept a better offer (a Superior Proposal) from a competing bidder.

Here's the quick math on the potential penalties, which are a clear barrier to entry for other bidders:

• Company Termination Fee: Sealed Air Corporation would owe CD&R either $94,665,318 or $205,108,189 if it terminates the deal under specified circumstances, such as accepting a Superior Proposal.
• Reverse Termination Fee: Conversely, CD&R would have to pay Sealed Air Corporation a substantial $425,993,930 if the merger fails due to the buyer's inability to close or a failure to obtain regulatory approvals.

The agreement did include a limited 'go-shop' period, allowing the company to actively solicit alternative bids until December 16, 2025. Still, the high termination fees are a significant deterrent for any late-stage competitive offer, which is why shareholders are concerned about the board's process.

Strict compliance required for global Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) regulations.

As a global manufacturing and packaging company, Sealed Air Corporation faces a complex web of Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) regulations across the 115 countries where it operates. Compliance is a constant, non-negotiable legal and operational cost, even if the company reports that the cost has not been 'material' to its consolidated financial condition in its 2025 Form 10-K filing.

The legal pressure is intensifying, especially around plastic packaging. For instance, the company must ensure its food packaging materials comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and worker safety rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Also, in California, the Toxics in Packaging Prevention Act legally prohibits the intentional introduction of heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium in packaging, and limits their incidental presence to 100 parts per million by weight. This is a clear, concrete standard that requires continuous legal oversight and process control.

Ongoing legal scrutiny of corporate governance following past SEC issues.

The current shareholder scrutiny over the CD&R deal is not happening in a vacuum; it follows a period of intense legal and regulatory focus on the company's corporate governance. The prior legal risk centered on an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into the company's accounting for income taxes and the process for selecting its independent auditor for the 2015 fiscal year.

While the SEC staff concluded its investigation into Sealed Air Corporation itself in August 2021 without recommending enforcement action against the company, it did file settled orders against the former Chief Financial Officer, William Stiehl, and the former auditing firm, Ernst & Young LLP, for related conduct. Furthermore, a securities class action lawsuit related to these allegations settled for $12,500,000 in 2022. This history means the Board's current decisions-like the November 2025, mutually agreed-upon departure of Steven Flannery, President of Food-are viewed through a lens of heightened legal and investor skepticism.

Legal Risk Factor (2025)	Consequence/Implication	Key Financial/Legal Metric
CD&R Deal Shareholder Investigation	Potential delay or termination of the acquisition; increased litigation costs.	All-cash offer: $42.15 per share; Enterprise Value: $10.3 billion.
Merger Restrictive Clauses	Deters competitive bids, potentially limiting shareholder value.	Company Termination Fee: Up to $205,108,189.
Global EHS Compliance	Ongoing operational and regulatory risk, especially in packaging materials.	California Toxics in Packaging limit: 100 parts per million for incidental heavy metals.
Past SEC/Governance Issues	Heightened investor scrutiny on the Board's fiduciary duty in the current merger.	Related 2022 Securities Class Action Settlement: $12,500,000.

Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) - PESTLE Analysis: Environmental factors

The biggest action item is watching the CD&R deal; it changes everything about your long-term valuation model. Finance: monitor the legal probe into the acquisition by the end of this month.

Original 2025 Pledge for 100% Recyclable or Reusable Packaging is Delayed Beyond 2025

Sealed Air Corporation's (SEE) original, ambitious 2025 pledge to design or advance 100% of its packaging solutions to be recyclable or reusable is defintely being revised and pushed beyond the target year. This isn't a failure of intent, but a realistic acknowledgment of systemic roadblocks outside the company's direct control. You need to model this delay, as it shifts the timeline for material cost savings and regulatory compliance risk.

The primary issue is the slow development of the necessary recycling infrastructure, particularly for flexible plastics. Plus, there are significant challenges in securing food-grade recyclate that meets the necessary price and performance requirements for customers. This means the market demand and material supply chain are simply taking longer than anticipated to mature.

Here is the quick math on their progress toward the original 2025 goals, based on the latest available data:

2025 Sustainability Goal	2022 Progress (Material Weight Sold)	Gap to Target
Design or Advance 100% of Packaging to be Recyclable or Reusable	51.5%	48.5 percentage points
Incorporate an average of 50% Recycled or Renewable Content	17.3%	32.7 percentage points

What this estimate hides is the complexity of flexible food packaging, which is the hardest segment to make truly circular. That's the real hurdle.

Committed to Reducing Absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG Emissions 46% by 2030 from a 2019 Baseline

On the climate front, Sealed Air Corporation has set clear, science-based targets (SBTi-aligned) for operational emissions. The commitment is to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 46% by 2030, using a 2019 baseline. This target is classified as being in line with a 1.5°C trajectory, which is the gold standard for climate risk mitigation.

The 2019 baseline for their operational emissions (Scope 1 and 2 combined) was 455,327 Metric Tonnes of CO2 equivalent (mtCO2e). By 2023, the company had achieved a reduction of 11.4% from that 2019 base year. To be fair, this progress is lagging behind the linear reduction needed, and the recent acquisition of Liquibox actually caused a temporary increase in Scopes 1 and 2 emissions in 2023 compared to 2022.

Also, don't overlook the Scope 3 commitment: they are targeting a 15% reduction in absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services as well as use of sold products within the same 2030 timeframe. This is a critical metric because Scope 3 emissions often represent the vast majority of a packaging company's total carbon footprint.

Long-Term Goal of Achieving Net-Zero Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 2040

Sealed Air Corporation's long-term environmental strategy culminates in a goal to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions across its operations (Scopes 1 and 2) by 2040. This is a decade ahead of the broader 2050 target many companies use, signaling a strong commitment.

To hit this target, their roadmap focuses on a few key areas:

• Continuing investments in renewable energy, like the solar power project in California and a wind power project in Argentina.
• Improving operational efficiencies to reduce energy consumption globally.
• Adopting state-of-the-art technology for advanced recycling and using more renewable materials.

This aggressive 2040 net-zero goal is a significant competitive advantage in winning over large corporate customers who are all facing their own net-zero mandates. It's a risk, but it's also a clear opportunity to secure long-term contracts. The company far exceeded its previous 2020 goal to reduce GHG intensity by 25%, achieving over a 44% reduction, so they have a track record of beating targets.