President of Protective, Sealed Air
Search every verified Byron Racki interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Byron Racki, President of Protective at Sealed Air, has discussed the company's shift from selling packaging products to selling shelf life extension and waste reduction. He stated that one truck of a new bubble wrap product is equivalent to 47 trucks of the old version, and described the company as a "waste buster and hygiene enhancer." Racki noted that Sealed Air's protein packaging aims to reduce waste by improving shelf life, citing figures of four billion dollars of protein thrown away from farm to retailer in the U.S. and nine billion dollars of poultry discarded from fridges annually. Racki emphasized that the company focuses on making customers five dollars rather than five cents, and said that if a customer wants to take a dollar from Sealed Air's pocket, there is no deal. He described large boxes with small products inside as "a crime" and stated that nine billion dollars of damage occurs annually in the U.S. from goods broken in transit due to bad packaging. Racki said that upon joining the company in 2012, he found it lacking a sense of purpose, and the company rebranded around sustainability as a core value. He characterized sustainability as "the new quality," adding that it must be tied to product performance and cost competitiveness.
“One truck of this bubble wrap is equivalent to 47 trucks of the old bubble wrap, so we're gonna take 46 trucks out of the road just by doing this. I think it's extraordinary.”
“We are in fact a waste buster and a hygiene enhancer. We're the world leader of protein packaging, and our job in protein is to reduce waste by offering an improved shelf life.”
“There are four billion dollars of protein meat or cheese thrown away from farm to retailer in the US only, and nine billion dollars of poultry meat thrown out of our fridges every year. This planet is choking and we don't have the sense of urgency to do better on things which are so easy.”
“We sell shelf life extension and hygiene increase, not just products. For example, in our hygiene division, we extend the shelf life of linen by about a third by developing the right products with hotel chains worldwide.”
“When companies talk about protective packaging, they focus on the cost of packaging, labor, freight, and damage. But it's not about the cost of packaging; it's about how we can make you five dollars, not five cents.”
“There are nine billion dollars of damage every year in the US from goods broken in transit due to bad packaging. Most of the time, it's a packaging problem, not mishandling.”
“That huge box with a small product inside traveling miles is not waste, it's a crime. It's waste of fuel, waste of packaging. The solutions are so easy.”
“If you want to work with us, we will not make you one dollar; we will make you three, five, and ten. But if in order for you to make one more dollar you have to take it from our pocket, there is no deal here.”
“When I arrived in 2012, I found the company lacking a sense of purpose. We rebranded to explain why we exist: to create a better way for life, focusing on sustainability as a core value.”
“Sustainability is the new quality, provided you are not a tree hugger and realize it has to be tied with product performance and cost competitiveness.”
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