US paper and cardboard recycling rates were stable in 2025 from the previous year, according to new data from the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).
Paper saw a recycling rate of 61%-65%, while the rate for cardboard was 70%-75%. Lower US paper and paperboard production led to a decrease in generation of recovered paper available for recycling in 2025, the report said.
In addition, US mills used 31.4 million tons of recycled paper to manufacture new products in 2025, a decrease of 1.3 million tons from 2024.
“Despite market dynamics, paper recovery remained strong relative to the available supply, explaining why the US paper recycling rate held steady,” the report added.
Even so, AF&PA noted that paper recycling has risen by almost 60% from 1990 levels. The organization said the steady recycling rates indicate that the US paper recycling system is “operating as designed.”
Last year around 45 million tons of paper were recycled in the US, including 33 million tons of cardboard, the report indicated.
Nearly half, or 20 million tons, of recycled paper fiber becomes containerboard for making cardboard boxes, while about 29% was exported. The rest of the material went into production of cereal and medicine boxes, tissue products and printing papers, the group said.
“Paper recycling remains one of America’s success stories, and we are committed to keeping that system strong,” said Heidi Brock, AF&PA president and CEO. “Fiber that comes from a tree, made into a sustainable product, and then recycled into a new one, is a circularity story we are proud to advance.”
