Company: GEF
Filing Date: 2025-11-19
Form Type: 10-KT
Source: 0001628280-25-053146
Chunk: 32

Company: GREIF, INC
Filing Date: 2025-11-19
Form: 10-KT
Chunk 32
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ulgated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”) and agencies in other jurisdictions. Both the DOT regulations and standards issued by the United Nations and adopted by various jurisdictions outside the United States set forth requirements related to the transportation of both hazardous and nonhazardous materials in some of our packaging products and subject our Company to random inspections and testing to ensure compliance. Failure to comply could result in fines to us and could affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We are subject to laws, rules and regulations relating to certain raw materials used in our business or present in our products. For example, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) are a group of chemicals that have been manufactured and used in consumer and industrial products since the 1940’s. PFAS compounds do not easily degrade and have been shown to accumulate over time in the environment. In the U.S., Europe and other countries where we operate, there is heightened governmental and regulatory scrutiny on PFAS usage in packaging products and its role in the contamination of soil, air and water. Governmental inquiries or requirements involving PFAS could lead to us incurring liability for damages or other costs, civil proceedings, including personal injury claims, class actions, the imposition of fines and penalties, or other remedies, as well as restrictions on or added costs for our business operations going forward. These laws, rules and regulations, as well as investigations and resulting claims by individuals, including class actions, and other businesses, could adversely affect our reputation with our customers generally, and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

At the EU-level, many laws and regulations are designed to protect human health and the environment. For example, Directive 2004/35/EC concerns obligations to remedy damages to the environment, which could require us to remediate contamination identified at sites we own or use. Other EU regulations and directives limit pollution from industrial activities, reduce emissions to air, water and soil, protect water resources, reduce waste, promote recycling, reuse or reduction of materials used, achieving a circular economy, protect employee health and safety and regulate the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals. The European Commission published its “Fit for 55” package in July 2021; a collection of legislative proposals and amendments to existing rules aimed at implementing the EU’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. In addition to existing green taxes on energy use, EU plastic taxes have been introduced.