Alltrista Corporation comments on review of strategic options

INDIANAPOLIS,  Ind.,  October  10,  2000--In  reaction  to today's  announcement
regarding Alltrista Corporation's (NYSE: ALC) 2000 earnings outlook, the company
has received inquiries from several  shareholders with respect to the process of
reviewing  corporate  strategic options,  which was initiated earlier this year.
The company had engaged Bear Stearns to assist in this process,  and although it
had been slowed pending review of projected  operating  performance,  it had not
been suspended.  Now that the assessment of projected operating  performance has
been completed, the company intends to resume the normal pace for the process.

     Thomas B.  Clark,  chairman,  president  and  chief  executive  officer  of
Alltrista  Corporation,  said,  "Now  that  action  plans  aimed  at  addressing
operating  performance have been developed and are being implemented,  I want to
make it clear to all shareholders  that we intend to proceed with the process of
reviewing strategic options."

     Alltrista Corporation will conduct a conference call today at 4 p.m. EDT to
review   today's   announcements.   The  call  can  be   accessed   by   dialing
1.800.244.2138.

     Alltrista  Corporation is now scheduled to announce  actual results for its
third quarter ended October 1, 2000 on Friday,  October 20 versus the originally
scheduled date of October 25. Senior  management  will conduct a conference call
on the 20th for interested parties,  which will be Web cast on the corporation's
Web site by StreetEvents.

     Alltrista is a materials-based  company. Its plastics group serves numerous
fields, including healthcare,  consumer, appliance, motor vehicle and industrial
markets.  Through its metals  group,  Alltrista is the leading  supplier of home
food preservation products,  under the Ball(R), Kerr(R) and Bernardin(R) brands,
and is the country's  largest  producer of zinc strip and  fabricated  products,
including coin blanks for the U.S. and foreign mints. Please visit the company's
Web site at www.alltrista.com for further information.

Note: This news release contains forward-looking  statements intended to qualify
for the  Safe  Harbor  from  liability  established  by the  Private  Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995,  including  statements  regarding the outlook for
Alltrista's  markets  and the demand for its  products.  These  projections  and
statements are based on management's  estimates and assumptions  with respect to
future  events and  financial  performance  and are  believed to be  reasonable,
though are inherently  uncertain and difficult to predict.  Actual results could
differ  materially  from  those  projected  as a result of  certain  factors.  A
discussion  of factors  that could  cause  results to vary are  included  in the
Company's  periodic  reports filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission,
including  its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended  December 31,  1999,  and its
Form 10-Q for the three months ended July 2, 2000.


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