How Much Cardboard is Recycled?
The Big Picture: Cardboard Recycling in the U.S.
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.
2023 Cardboard Recycling Rate and Statistics
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.
What Happens to Recycled Cardboard?
Cardboard is collected from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial sources.
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.
How to Recycle Cardboard Properly
Recycling cardboard is simple, but there are a few important tips to remember to help the process:
- Remove non-recyclable materials – Empty boxes of non-paper packaging materials. Packaging tape and labels generally do not need to be removed.
- Break down and flatten boxes – This saves space in bins and trucks, making collection more efficient.
- Keep boxes clean and dry –Cardboard can’t always be processed and recycled if it gets moldy or attracts pests.
Just remember, empty, flatten, recycle!
Recycling your cardboard helps create new shipping boxes, food packaging, and other essential products.
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Discover the Paper Recycling ProcessInterested in learning more about the paper and cardboard recycling process? We explained what happens after you put your paper products in your recycling bin.