Recovered Packaging: United States

Report Overview

This report forecasts to 2023 US recovery of post-consumer packaging from the US municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in short tons. For comparison, this report also forecasts the total generation of post-consumer packaging in the MSW stream. Total packaging recovery and generation are segmented by material in terms of: paper, glass, wood, metal, plastic, and other packaging (generation only).

To illustrate historical trends, total packaging volumes recovered and generated and the various segments are provided in annual series from 2008 to 2018.

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. Throughout this report, measures in tons refer to short tons.

Key macroeconomic indicators are also provided with quantified trends. Other various topics, including profiles of pertinent leading companies, are covered in this report. A full outline of report items by page is available in the Table of Contents.

Related NAICS Codes:
321920 Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
322110 Pulp Mills
326160 Plastics Bottle Manufacturing
327213 Glass Container Manufacturing
332431 Metal Can Manufacturing
423930 Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers
562111 Solid Waste Collection
562920 Materials Recovery Facilities

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

• Paper
• Glass
• Wood
• Metal
• Plastic

• Industry Characteristics
• Market Leaders

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

• Figure 1 | Key Trends in US MSW Packaging Recovery, 2018 - 2023
• Figure 2 | US MSW Packaging Recovery Trends, 2008 - 2018
• Figure 3 | US MSW Packaging Generation Trends, 2008 - 2018
• Table 1 | Key Indicators for US MSW Packaging Generation & Recovery, 2008 - 2023 (2012US$ bil)
• Figure 4 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material, 2008 - 2023 (mil tons)
• Table 2 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material, 2008 - 2023 (000 tons)
• Figure 5 | US MSW Packaging Generation by Material, 2008 - 2023 (mil tons)
• Table 3 | US MSW Packaging Generation by Material, 2008 - 2023 (000 tons)
• Figure 6 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material Performance Index, 2008 - 2023 (2008=100)
• Figure 7 | US MSW Packaging Recovery Rates by Material, 2008 - 2023 (%)
• Table 4 | US MSW Packaging Recovery Rates by Material, 2008 - 2023 (%)
• Figure 8 | US MSW Paper Packaging Recovered w/ Paper Packaging Shipments, 2008 - 2023
• Figure 9 | US MSW Paper Packaging Generated & Recovered by Product, 2017 (%)
• Figure 10 | US MSW Glass Packaging Generated & Recovered by Product, 2018 (%)
• Figure 11 | US MSW Glass & Wood Packaging Recovered w/ Glass & Wood Packaging Shipments, 2008 - 2023
• Figure 12 | US MSW Metal Packaging Recovered w/ Metal Packaging Shipments, 2008 - 2023
• Figure 13 | US MSW Metal Packaging Generated & Recovered by Product, 2017 (%)
• Figure 14 | US MSW Plastic Packaging Recovered w/ Plastic Packaging Shipments, 2008 - 2023
• Figure 15 | US MSW Plastic Packaging Generated & Recovered by Product, 2017 (%)
• Figure 16 | US MSW Packaging Recovery by Material, 2008 - 2023 (%)
• Figure 17 | US Materials Recovery Facilities Firms, Establishments, & Employment, 2008 - 2018
• Table 5 | US Materials Recovery Facilities Firms, Establishments, & Employment, 2008 - 2018
• Figure 18 | US Materials Recovery Facilities Revenue Concentration, 2002 - 2012 (%)
• Table 6 | Leading Participants in the US MSW Packaging Recovery Industry
• Table 7 | NAICS & SIC Codes Related to MSW Packaging Recovery