Recovered Paper: United States

Report Overview

This report forecasts to 2028 US recovery of post-consumer paper from the US municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in short tons. For comparison, this report also forecasts the generation of post-consumer paper in the MSW stream to 2028. Total paper recovery is segmented by type in terms of: packaging, mixed paper products, and newspapers and mechanical papers. Total paper generation is segmented by type as follows: packaging; mixed paper products; newspapers and mechanical papers; and other paper products such as tissue paper, paper towels, paper plates and paper cups.

To illustrate historical trends, total paper volumes generated and recovered along with their segments are provided in annual series from 2013-2023.

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 paper products is negligible and is therefore excluded from total recovered paper. Pre-consumer paper and paper combusted for energy are also excluded from this report. 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

Table of Contents

HIGHLIGHTS

• Historical Trends
• Key Economic Indicators
• Paper Production & Recycling

• Packaging
• Mixed Paper Products
• Newspaper & Mechanical Papers

• Industry Characteristics
• Recovery Industry Leaders
• Recycling Industry Leaders

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

• Figure 1 | Key Trends in US MSW Paper Recovery & Generation, 2023 - 2028
• Figure 2 | US MSW Paper Recovery Trends, 2013 - 2023
• Table 1 | Key Indicators for US MSW Paper Recovery; 2013, 2018, 2023, 2028
• Figure 3 | US MSW Paper Recovery by Type, 2013 - 2028 (mil tons)
• Table 2 | US MSW Paper Historical Recovery by Type, 2013 - 2023 (000 tons)
• Table 3 | US MSW Paper Forecast Recovery by Type, 2023 - 2028 (000 tons)
• Figure 4 | US MSW Paper Generation by Type, 2013 - 2028 (mil tons)
• Table 4 | US MSW Paper Historical Generation by Type, 2013 - 2023 (000 tons)
• Table 5 | US MSW Paper Forecast Generation by Type, 2023 - 2028 (000 tons)
• Figure 5 | US Paper Recovery Rates by Type, 2013 - 2028 (%)
• Table 6 | US Paper Historical Recovery Rates by Type, 2013 - 2023 (%)
• Table 7 | US Paper Forecast Recovery Rates by Type, 2023 - 2028 (%)
• Figure 6 | US MSW Paper Recovery by Product Performance Index, 2013 - 2028 (2013=1.00)
• Figure 7 | US MSW Paper Recovery by Type, 2013 - 2028 (%)
• Table 8 | NAICS & SIC Codes Related to MSW Paper