Recovered Packaging: United States

Report Overview

Recovered Packaging: United States examines the generation and recovery of post-consumer packaging from the US municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in short tons, with both generation and recovery segmented by material. Total packaging volumes generated and recovered, as well as the various segments, are provided in annual series from 2013 to 2023, with annual forecasts to 2028.

Material Segments:

• paper
• glass
• wood
• metal
• plastic
• other packaging (generation only)

Key macroeconomic indicators are also provided with quantified trends. Other various topics, including profiles of pertinent leading companies, are covered in this report. 

Clarifications & Exclusions:

• Throughout this report, measures in tons refer to short tons.
• Generation refers to the weight of materials and products as they enter the waste management system from residential, commercial and institutional sources and before recycling, composting, combustion, or landfilling take place. Pre-consumer (industrial) scrap is not included in the generation estimate. Source reduction activities, such as backyard composting, take place ahead of generation.
• Recycling is defined as the recovery of useful materials, such as paper, glass, plastic and metals, from the MSW stream, along with the transformation of the materials, to make new products to reduce the amount of virgin raw materials needed to meet consumer demands.
• The annual volume of material recovered from other packaging, such as that made of textiles and leather, is negligible, and is therefore excluded from total recovered packaging. 

Who is this report for?

• Providers of waste management services
• Manufacturers of waste collection and sorting containers, vehicles, and sorting and processing machinery and software
• Suppliers of virgin and recycled plastic, metal, glass, and paper materials, as well as dedicated material science firms
• Manufacturers of packaging and participants in related industries for which changes to packaging materials may have an impact, such as packaging machinery, labels, adhesives, printing inks, etc
• Investors and consultants assessing opportunities in the recycling, packaging, or materials industries
• Government regulators and environmental groups assessing the state and outlook for packaging recycling in the United States

Related NAICS Codes

Table of Contents

HIGHLIGHTS

• Historical Trends
• Key Economic Indicators
• Material Separation Technology
• Package Recycling Initiatives

• Paper
• Wood
• Glass
• Metal
• Plastic

• Industry Characteristics
• Market Leaders

• Scope
• Sources
• Industry Codes
• Freedonia Methodology
• Resources

• Figure 1 | Key Trends in US Recovered Packaging Demand, 2023 - 2028
• Figure 2 | US Recovered Packaging Demand Trends, 2013 - 2023
• Table 1 | Key Indicators for US Recovered Packaging Demand; 2013, 2018, 2023, 2028 (2017US$ bil)
• Figure 3 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material, 2013 - 2028 (000 tons)
• Table 2 | US MSW Packaging Historical Recovery by Material, 2013 - 2023 (000 tons)
• Table 3 | US MSW Packaging Forecast Recovery by Material, 2023 - 2028 (000 tons)
• Figure 4 | US MSW Generated Packaging by Material, 2013 - 2028 (000 tons)
• Table 4 | US MSW Historical Generated Packaging by Material, 2013 - 2023 (000 tons)
• Table 5 | US MSW Forecast Generated Packaging by Material, 2023 - 2028 (000 tons)
• Figure 5 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material Performance Index, 2013 - 2028 (2013=1.00)
• Figure 6 | US MSW Packaging Generation by Material Performance Index, 2013 - 2028 (2013=1.00)
• Figure 7 | US MSW Packaging Recovery Rates by Material, 2013 - 2028 (%)
• Table 6 | US MSW Packaging Historical Recovery Rates by Material, 2013 - 2023 (%)
• Table 7 | US MSW Packaging Forecast Recovery Rates by Material, 2023 - 2028 (%)
• Figure 8 | US Survey: Consumer Level of Agreement with Importance of Company Environmental Records in Purchasing Decisions, 2023 (%)
• Figure 9 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material, 2013 - 2028 (%)
• Figure 10 | US Recovered Packaging Firms, Establishments, & Employment, 2013 - 2023
• Table 8 | US Recovered Packaging Firms, Establishments, & Employment, 2013 - 2023
• Table 9 | Leading Participants in the US MSW Packaging Recovery Industry
• Table 10 | NAICS & SIC Codes Related to Recovered Packaging