Recycling

Including commercial packaging recycling in EPR programs would require businesses to pay into a system they do not use and do not need. Including it in EPR ultimately raises costs without improving paper recycling outcomes. 

More than 33 million tons of cardboard was recycled in 2024. The cardboard recycling rate was 69% -74%.

Download AF&PA's handout explaining the 2025 paper and cardboard recycling rates.

In 2025, nearly half of recycled paper went into making containerboard — the material used to make cardboard boxes.

Paper recycling is a success. In 2025, the paper recycling rate was 61-65% and the cardboard recycling rate was 70-75%.

In 2025, the paper recycling rate was 61% - 65%. 

The 2025 cardboard recycling rate was 70% - 75%.

Grease and cheese in an amount typically found on pizza boxes are not an issue for the recycling process. 82% of Americans have access to a community recycling program that accepts pizza boxes.

Download our handout that explains: The definition of Extended Producer Responsibility The role of paper in EPR programs   Our industry’s investment to improve paper recycling Our recommendation for EPR programs

Yes, paper gets recycled! Today, more than 2/3 of all paper recycled in the U.S. is turned into new products Americans rely on at mills nationwide.

The U.S. paper recycling rate was 61-65%, and the cardboard recycling rate was 70-75% in 2025. Around 45 million tons of paper were recycled.

In 2025, the U.S. recycled around 45 million tons of paper. The U.S. paper recycling rate was 61-65%, and the cardboard recycling rate was 70-75%.