POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
each of Joseph E. Doyle and Erick R. Opsahl, signing singly, the undersigned's
true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1)           prepare, execute in the undersigned's name and on the
              undersigned's behalf, and submit to the U.S. Securities and
              Exchange Commission (the "SEC") a Form ID, including amendments
              thereto, and any other documents necessary or appropriate to
              obtain codes and passwords enabling the undersigned to make
              electronic filings with the SEC of reports required by Section
              16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or any rule or
              regulation of the SEC;

(2)           execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
              capacity as an officer and/or director of Pactiv Corporation (the
              "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of
              the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules hereunder, and
              any other forms or reports the undersigned may be required to file
              in connection with the undersigned's ownership, acquisition, or
              disposition of securities of the Company;

(3)           do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
              undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and
              execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5, or other form or report, and
              timely file such form or report with the United States Securities
              and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar
              authority; and

(4)           take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with
              the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may
              be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by,
              the undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed
              by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to
              this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain
              such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
              such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of the power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, is not assuming, nor
is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorney-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 5th day of May 2008.




/s/:  Michael O. Oliver