8-K

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report: May 5, 1999


                                                                     
Alltrista Corporation
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Indiana                                      0-21052                       35-1828377
State of Incorporation                       Commission File Number        IRS Identification Number

5875 Castle Creek Parkway,
 North Drive, Suite 440
Indianapolis, IN 46250

Registrant's telephone number,
including area code: (317) 577-5000
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Item 5.  Other Events.

     Alltrista  Corporation  ("Alltrista")  announced on May 5, 1999 that it had
entered into a definitive  agreement to sell its plastic  packaging  division to
Spartech Corporation. The sale is expected to be completed by the end of May.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

     (c) Exhibit 99 Press release dated May 5, 1999.









SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                       ALLTRISTA CORPORATION
                       (Registrant)




                        By: /s/
                            -------------------------------------------------
                            Kevin D. Bower
                            Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                            May 5, 1999










ALLTRISTA CORPORATION
FORM 8-K
EXHIBIT INDEX




                                                                    

Exhibit                    Description                                    Page

Ex    99                   Press release dated May 5, 1999.               5

EX-99

Alltrista Corporation              News

5875  Castle  Creek  Parkway,  North  Drive,  Suite 440,  Indianapolis,  Indiana
46250-4330


Alltrista  Corporation  to  sell  its  plastic  packaging  division  to Spartech
Corporation

INDIANAPOLIS,  May 5, 1999 - Alltrista Corporation  (NYSE:ALC) today said it had
signed a definitive agreement to sell its plastic packaging division to Spartech
Corporation (NYSE:SHE) of Clayton, Missouri. The sales price of the transaction,
which is expected to close by the end of the month, was not disclosed.

     The plastic packaging unit, which had 1998 sales of $28 million, coextrudes
high-barrier plastic sheet and forms containers for the food packaging industry.
Its  headquarters  and  manufacturing  operation  is in Muncie,  Ind.,  where it
employs approximately 75 people.

     "The plastic packaging  operation is a niche oriented packaging company and
is not consistent with Alltrista's strategy to grow its plastics business in the
industrial  thermoforming  and injection molding markets," said Thomas B. Clark,
Alltrista's president and chief executive officer.  "Plastic packaging will be a
much  better fit with  Spartech's  sheet  business,  and it can  compete in that
marketplace more efficiently than as a unit of Alltrista."

     Alltrista acquired the assets of Triangle  Plastics,  Inc. late last month,
making  Alltrista the largest  industrial  plastics  thermoformer  in the United
States.  Triangle had 1998 sales of $114 million.  Alltrista,  a manufacturer of
plastic  and metal  products, had 1998 sales of $244  million.  The  company now
employs approximately 2,000 employees in 16 manufacturing locations.

- -end-

7/99--Contact  Larry  Miller,  317.577.5015;  nights  at  765.286.5856;  e-mail,
lmiller@alltrista.com