Graphic Packaging releases sustainability report as CSO departs

Packaging Dive reported the development on 2026-07-02. Michelle Fitzpatrick was GPI’s inaugural chief sustainability officer and exits after nearly five years in the role. Meanwhile, the company’s sustainability report showed small regressions on emissions and product recyclability efforts.

The report places the news in a wider commercial context. Graphic Packaging International released its 2025 sustainability report on June 30. Later that day, Chief Sustainability Officer Michelle Fitzpatrick announced her departure from the company, ending a nearly five-year tenure. Fitzpatrick was GPI’s first CSO, having assumed the new position in 2021.

For the food sector, the practical implications extend beyond the immediate announcement. “The science-based targets are a great example of how you think about balancing growth with progress,” she said at the time. “The old-school thinking was that I can’t grow without growing my emissions.”. Fitzpatrick did not respond to Packaging Dive’s outreach for comments.

Attention now turns to how companies, customers and regulators respond. A GPI spokesperson confirmed via email that Fitzpatrick exited on Tuesday, and said the company is grateful for her leadership and contributions to its sustainability program. The spokesperson said that sustainability will remain an important part of GPI’s business strategy, and the company is “aligning the right operating model across our sustainability team to advance this work.”.