Recycled Plastics in Packaging: United States

Report Overview

This report forecasts to 2030 US recycled plastic resins in packaging demand in pounds. Total demand is segmented by resin in terms of polyethylene terephthalate (PET); high-density polyethylene (HDPE); low-density polyethylene (LDPE), including linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE); polypropylene (PP) and other plastic resins such as polystyrene (PS)

Total demand is also segmented by product as follows bottles, other rigid plastic packaging such as lids, pails, and trays, flexible packaging

To illustrate historical trends, total demand and the various segments are provided in annual series from 2019 to 2025.

Sources for scrap and waste plastics covered in this report include food and beverage bottles, rigid plastics and foam (including food containers), carpeting (including rugs) and fiber, flexible packaging (including retail bags, trash bags, and film from other packaging products)

Excluded from the scope of this report are waste primarily made of nylon, post-industrial recycled content, bioplastics and engineering plastics

Post-consumer recycled goods are those that have left the manufacturing facility and have been used, even if their final destination is another manufacturing facility. This is in contrast to post-industrial recycled materials, which are directly generated during the manufacturing process. For example, plastic trimmed from rigid packaging on the manufacturing line that is then recycled would be classified as post-industrial recycled content, while the stretch film used to secure the palletized goods that is removed at the beverage manufacturer’s facility would be classified as post-consumer waste. Packaging made from post-industrial recycled waste is excluded from this report.

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

Related NAICS Codes:
325211 Plastic Material and Resin Manufacturing
325991 Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins

Table of Contents

• Historical Trends
• Key Economic Indicators
• Regulatory & Legislative Environment
• Alternatives to Plastic Recycling for Sustainability

• Resins
• Products

• Industry Characteristics
• Industry Participants

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

• Figure 1 | Key Trends in US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging, 2025 – 2030
• Figure 2 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging Trends, 2019 – 2025
• Table 1 | Key Indicators for US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging; 2019, 2025, 2030 (2017US$ bil)
• Figure 3 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Resin, 2019 – 2030 (mil lbs)
• Table 2 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Resin, 2019 – 2025 (mil lbs)
• Table 3 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Resin, 2025 – 2030 (mil lbs)
• Figure 4 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Resin, 2019 – 2030 (%)
• Figure 5 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Product, 2019 – 2030 (mil lbs)
• Table 4 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Product, 2019 – 2025 (mil lbs)
• Table 5 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Product, 2025 – 2030 (mil lbs)
• Figure 6 | US Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging by Product, 2019 – 2030 (%)
• Table 6 | NAICS & SIC Codes Related to Recycled Plastic Demand in Packaging