Marketplace Sustainability

The American Forest & Paper Association Vice President of Industry Affairs, Terry Webber issued a statement opposing the Colorado Legislature passing (HB22-1355) that would create an extended producer responsibility (EPR) program.

The paper recycling rate has met or exceeded 63% every year since 2009. Paper recycling is a model that works because of the industry’s investment and the millions of people who recycle every day. Read what we’re doing to continue to improve paper recycling.

While you’re sipping your latte, you may wonder are paper cups recyclable? Yes, paper cups are recyclable! There are currently more than 30 mills across North America recycling paper cups. The fiber from those cups is then used to make tissue, paper and paper packaging.  

One of the questions we commonly receive is how do I recycle a paper padded mailer. The answer depends on what type of mailer you received. We help explain what to do for the three most common mailers.

In 2020, AF&PA members procured 99.2% of the total wood fiber from forests, used for product, through a certified fiber sourcing program; and 27.1% of wood fiber was sourced from third-party certified forestlands. This represents a 12.2 and 4.1 percentage point increase, respectively, from the…

The vast majority of Americans have access to a community paper recycling program. Items like pizza boxes, cardboard boxes and paper bags are widely collected for recycling in the United States.

The 2021 AF&PA Access to Recycling Study found many items which are widely accepted. 60% or more of consumers have access to community recycling programs that accept these materials.

The 2021 AF&PA Access to Recycling Study found 82% of the U.S. population has access to a community recycling program that accepts pizza boxes.  

The 2021 AF&PA Access to Recycling Study found 94% of Americans have access to a community paper recycling program.  

The 2021 AF&PA Access to Recycling Study found 79% of Americans have access to residential-curbside recycling programs- an increase of more than 14 million people since our 2014 study.

AF&PA commissioned the 2021 Access to Recycling Study. The study is a comprehensive national report that tracks and measures the growth of access to community paper and paperboard recycling in the U.S. The study shows 94% of Americans have access to community paper recycling programs.

We encourage communities to update their residential recycling programs’ guidelines to explicitly accept pizza boxes that are free of food.