Paper recycling statistics vary by material category, geography, and measurement method. In the United States, paper and paperboard had a 68.2% recycling rate in 2018. Europe reported a 79.3% paper recycling rate in 2023 under its collection-and-apparent-consumption measure, while the UK’s 2024 rate ranged from 74.3% to a provisional 86.4% depending on the methodology used.
Contents
- U.S. paper and paperboard at a glance
- How U.S. generation and recycling changed
- What happens to U.S. paper waste
- European collection, mill use, and trade
- European recycling rates and material comparisons
- Recent UK paper and cardboard statistics
- Canadian paper diversion
U.S. paper and paperboard at a glance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported 67.4 million short tons of paper and paperboard in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in 2018. That represented 23.1% of total U.S. MSW generation. In the same year, the United States recycled approximately 46 million short tons of paper and paperboard, producing a 68.2% recycling rate. Paper and paperboard had the highest recycling rate among U.S. MSW material categories in that year. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data”)
The overall figure combines very different paper streams. Newspapers had a 64.8% recycling rate in 2018, while paper nondurable goods other than newspapers reached 43.1%. Paper containers and packaging other than corrugated boxes had a lower 20.8% rate. Corrugated boxes stood out at 96.5%, making them the strongest-performing category among these listed U.S. paper streams. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data”)
| U.S. paper stream | 2018 recycling rate |
|---|---|
| Paper and paperboard overall | 68.2% |
| Newspapers | 64.8% |
| Paper nondurable goods other than newspapers | 43.1% |
| Paper containers and packaging other than corrugated boxes | 20.8% |
| Corrugated boxes | 96.5% |
These rates describe the 2018 U.S. measurement period and should not be treated as current-year estimates. They also show why a single paper recycling statistic can conceal large differences between products: corrugated boxes were measured at more than four times the rate for paper containers and packaging other than corrugated boxes.
How U.S. generation and recycling changed
Long-run EPA figures show substantial growth in both paper and paperboard generation and recycling between 1960 and 2000. Generation rose from 29,990 thousand short tons in 1960 to 44,310 thousand short tons in 1970, then to 55,160 thousand short tons in 1980. It reached 72,730 thousand short tons in 1990 and 87,740 thousand short tons in 2000. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data”)
Recycling also increased across each listed year. U.S. paper and paperboard recycling was 5,080 thousand short tons in 1960 and 6,770 thousand short tons in 1970. It reached 11,740 thousand short tons in 1980, 20,230 thousand short tons in 1990, and 37,560 thousand short tons in 2000. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data”)
| Year | Generation (thousand short tons) | Recycling (thousand short tons) |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 29,990 | 5,080 |
| 1970 | 44,310 | 6,770 |
| 1980 | 55,160 | 11,740 |
| 1990 | 72,730 | 20,230 |
| 2000 | 87,740 | 37,560 |
The historical series reports generation and recycling as separate measured quantities. It does not by itself explain the causes of the changes or provide a current forecast, so the figures are best read as a record of the listed U.S. years rather than a projection.
What happens to U.S. paper waste
Recycling was not the only destination for paper and paperboard in the 2018 U.S. MSW data. Municipal solid waste combustion with energy recovery included 4.2 million short tons of paper and paperboard. Paper and paperboard made up 12.2% of all U.S. MSW combusted with energy recovery in 2018. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data”)
Landfills received 17.2 million short tons of paper and paperboard MSW in 2018. This landfill quantity and the combustion quantity are reported alongside the recycling benchmark, giving a broader view of how paper moved through the U.S. waste system during that period. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Paper and Paperboard: Material-Specific Data”)
The destination figures should be kept separate from the product-level recycling rates. A 96.5% rate for corrugated boxes, for example, applies to that specific stream, while the 17.2 million short tons sent to landfills describes paper and paperboard MSW in aggregate for the United States in 2018.
European collection, mill use, and trade
Cepi-member countries collected 52,452 thousand tonnes of paper for recycling in 2022 and 51,599 thousand tonnes in 2023. Cepi-member paper and board mills used 47,408 thousand tonnes in 2022 and 43,989 thousand tonnes in 2023. These collection and mill-use figures are reported for the relevant Cepi-member coverage and use metric tonnes, not U.S. short tons. (Cepi, “Cepi Key Statistics 2023”)
Cross-border flows were also measured. Cepi countries exported 7,082 thousand tonnes of paper for recycling outside the Cepi region in 2022 and 9,418 thousand tonnes in 2023. Imports from outside the region were 2,037 thousand tonnes in 2022 and 1,807 thousand tonnes in 2023. (Cepi, “Cepi Key Statistics 2023”)
The European Paper Recycling Council’s comparison series reported 8.2 million tonnes of net exports of paper for recycling outside Europe in 2023. That was equal to 15.4% of Europe’s 53.7 million-tonne collection. Net exports increased 45.0% from 2022 to 2023. The source defines Europe for its recycling-rate measure as the EU-27 plus Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. (European Paper Recycling Council, “PAPER RECYCLING vs PAPER CONSUMPTION”)
European recycling rates and material comparisons
Under Cepi’s collection-and-apparent-consumption measure, Europe’s paper recycling rate was 71.1% in 2022 and 79.3% in 2023. Europe’s domestic paper recycling rate, which excludes net trade, was 67.1% in 2023. These values are not interchangeable: the first series includes the stated collection-and-apparent-consumption method, while the domestic figure excludes net trade. (European Paper Recycling Council, “PAPER RECYCLING vs PAPER CONSUMPTION”)
The same EPRC material reported that 19 European countries exceeded a 70% paper recycling rate in 2023, compared with 15 in 2022. Four countries were below 60% in 2023, compared with seven in 2022. Each paper fibre completed an average of 4.8 recycling-and-use cycles in Europe during 2023, while the worldwide average was 2.5 cycles in 2022. (European Paper Recycling Council, “PAPER RECYCLING vs PAPER CONSUMPTION”)
The regional comparison for 2022 listed paper recycling rates of 71.1% for Europe, 56.9% for Asia, 67.6% for North America, 47.1% for Latin America, 38.4% for Africa, and 60.0% for the world. These are regional comparison figures for 2022, not a single global measurement of every paper product. (European Paper Recycling Council, “PAPER RECYCLING vs PAPER CONSUMPTION”)
For packaging specifically, the EU-27 paper and cardboard packaging recycling rate was 82.5% in 2021, according to the Eurostat figure reproduced by the EPRC. The EU-27 metal packaging rate was 74.8%, glass was 74.9%, and plastic was 39.7% in the same 2021 comparison. (European Paper Recycling Council, “PAPER RECYCLING vs PAPER CONSUMPTION”)
The EPRC comparison series also reported that European paper recycling increased 34.2% from its 1998 base year, equivalent to 13.7 million tonnes, across 1998–2023. This is a historical comparison series, not a forecast of future recycling volumes. (European Paper Recycling Council, “PAPER RECYCLING vs PAPER CONSUMPTION”)
Recent UK paper and cardboard statistics
The UK’s 2024 packaging figures illustrate how methodology can change the reported result. Under Defra methodology 1, UK paper and cardboard packaging waste arising was 5,479 thousand tonnes, and 4,069 thousand tonnes were recycled. The resulting recycling rate was 74.3%. (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, “UK statistics on waste”)
Provisional 2024 figures under Defra methodology 2 reported 4,709 thousand tonnes of paper and cardboard packaging waste arising and an 86.4% recycling rate. The methodology-2 result is provisional and should not be presented as directly equivalent to the methodology-1 result. (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, “UK statistics on waste”)
| UK 2024 measure | Waste arising | Recycling rate |
|---|---|---|
| Defra methodology 1 | 5,479 thousand tonnes | 74.3% |
| Defra methodology 2, provisional | 4,709 thousand tonnes | 86.4% |
The two reported rates therefore describe different methodology outputs for the same broad 2024 packaging subject. The figures are useful together because they show why the measurement definition and provisional status need to stay attached to any UK paper recycling statistic.
Canadian paper diversion
Statistics Canada reported that Canadian diversion of paper fibres reached 3.6 million tonnes in 2022, an increase of 68,701 tonnes from 2020. Paper fibres accounted for more than one-third of all materials diverted from waste disposal in Canada in 2022. (Statistics Canada, “Less diversion and more non-residential sources push Canada’s waste disposal to new high in 2022”)
Canada diverted 9.9 million tonnes of waste from all sources in 2022. The 3.6 million-tonne paper-fibre figure is therefore a material-specific diversion measure within that broader national total. The source reports diversion, which is not automatically the same measure as a paper recycling rate. (Statistics Canada, “Less diversion and more non-residential sources push Canada’s waste disposal to new high in 2022”)