How Much Cardboard is Recycled?

Cardboard is one of the most recycled materials in the U.S. It is collected from residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial sources.

From the shipping box at your doorstep to large appliance packaging and produce bins at the grocery store, cardboard recycling plays a crucial role in the paper industry.

In 2023, nearly 33 million tons of cardboard was recycled, resulting in a cardboard recycling rate of 71% -76%. That’s about 90,000 tons per day—a staggering amount of material being diverted from landfills.

Collected cardboard is first sorted and non-cardboard material is removed. After it is processed, it is sent to paper mills. Recycled cardboard is used at paper mills to produce new packaging materials.

Around half of all recycled paper went into making containerboard—the material used to make cardboard boxes – in 2023. Additionally, about 80% of U.S. paper mills use some recycled paper to create new products.
more at: https://www.afandpa.org/news/2025/how-much-cardboard-recycled

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