More than 45 million tons of paper were recycled in the U.S. in 2025

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its annual paper recycling rates. The report highlights that 61 to 65 percent of paper and 70 to 75 percent of cardboard available for recovery are being recycled in the U.S. in 2025. 

Paper and cardboard recycling rates in 2025

Paper and cardboard recycling rates held steady in 2025, underscoring the strength of America's paper recycling system and highlighting that it is operating as designed. In 2025, around 45 million tons of paper were recycled in the U.S. — about 123,000 tons every day — including more than 33 million tons of cardboard. Nearly half of all recycled paper in 2025 went into containerboard, the material used to make cardboard boxes.

Overall, a decline in U.S. paper and paperboard production led to a decrease in the generation of recovered paper available for recycling in 2025. In addition, U.S. 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 U.S. paper recycling rate held steady. The paper industry continues to demonstrate resilience by adapting to changing market conditions while operating at significant scale and serving strong demand for paper-based products.

"2025's recycling rate demonstrates the staying power of America's paper recycling system and the industry behind it," said AF&PA president and CEO Heidi Brock. "Every day, people across our industry recover and reuse paper at scale to make the paper and packaging products families and businesses rely on. 

"Paper recycling remains one of America's success stories, and we are committed to keeping that system strong. 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."