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Paper Recycling by the Numbers

Americans recycle a lot of paper! Paper recovered for recycling in the U.S. in 2022 would fill more than 4,000 Washington Monuments.

According to the U.S. EPA, more paper by weight is recovered from municipal solid waste streams for recycling than plastic, glass, steel and aluminum combined.

94% of Americans have access to community paper recycling programs. Paper recycling is a success story and paper products are part of the recycling solution.

67.9% of paper

67.9% of paper

was recycled in
the U.S. in 2022

93.6% of cardboard

93.6% of cardboard

was recycled in
the U.S. in 2022

About 80% of

About 80% of

U.S. mills use
recycled fiber

Paper Recycling Trends

Paper recycling rates have continuously grown over recent decades and remain consistently high. Let's break down the rates.

2022 Paper Recycling Rate

In 2022, the paper recycling rate was nearly 68%, which held approximately steady to the 2021 rate. Nearly 50 million tons of paper was recovered for recycling in 2022. That amount could fill rail cars stretching from New York to Los Angeles nearly 3 times! 

2022 Cardboard Recycling Rate

Cardboard is the most recycled packaging material in the U.S. About 34 million tons of cardboard – what the industry calls corrugated – was recovered for recycling. About half of the material used nationwide to make new boxes comes from paper recovered for recycling.   

Where Recycled Paper Goes

At paper mills across the country, recycled paper is used to make the essential products millions of people rely on every day!

In 2022, nearly half of recycled paper went into making containerboard — the material used to make cardboard boxes.

Recycled paper makes boxes for food and medicine, tissue products like toilet paper and paper towels, and newspapers as well. 

Recycled paper is also exported. It's used in paper mills around the world to manufacture new products.

Dive Deeper Into Paper Recycling

Image
Cardboard and paper bales going up a conveyor belt. The text says unpack the paper recycling rates.

Unpacking the 2022 Paper Recycling Rates

Paper is one of the most recycled materials. Dive into why paper recycling is a continuous success.
 

Image
A pizza and cardboard box in a recycling bin. The text says learn what the industry is doing to improve paper recycling.

What is the Paper Industry Doing to Improve Recycling?

Learn why paper recycling is a model that works and how the industry is investing to advance the circular economy.

Image
A recycling bin being picked up by a recycling truck. The text says see how the paper recycling process works.

How Paper Recycling Works

At paper mills across the country, recycled paper is used to make the essential products millions of people rely on.

Download paper recycling resources

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