According to the Corrugated Packaging Alliance (CPA), 91 percent of the corrugated packaging used in the United States in 2012— 29 million tons—was collected for recycling, making it the most recycled packaging material.
The CPA is a corrugated industry initiative that is jointly sponsored by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), and the Fibre Box Association (FBA).
The CPA also found that more than 50 percent of the OCC collected is used to make new containerboard. An additional 12 percent was used to make recycled paperboard and 34 percent was exported.
In a release, the CPA says that the corrugated industry continues to support the increased OCC recovery for recycling by modernizing equipment so that OCC can be used at manufacturing facilities; supporting business, community and school recycling programs and developing a standard protocol for corrugated boxes treated for moisture resistance.
Where OCC Goes:
| Grade | Thousands of tons | Percent |
| Containerboard | 14,588 | 50.1 |
| Recycled Paperboard | 3,510 | 12 |
| Packaging & Industrial | 484 | 1.7 |
| Tissue | 224 | 0.9 |
| Newsprint | 0 | 0.0 |
| Other | 251 | 0.9 |
| Net exports | 10,007 | 34.6 |
| Total | 29,134 | 100 |
2010 Recovery Rates
| Packaging category | 2010 Recovery rate | % Change in discarded tonnage (1990-2010) |
| OCC | 85% | -65 |
| Paper-based | 71.3% | -47 |
| Aluminum | 35.8% | +37 |
| Glass | 33.4% | -32 |
| Plastics | 13.5% | +78 |
Latest from Recycling Today
- ReMA urges open intra-North American scrap trade
- Axium awarded by regional organization
- China to introduce steel export quotas
- Thyssenkrupp idles capacity in Europe
- Phoenix Technologies closes Ohio rPET facility
- EPA selects 2 governments in Pennsylvania to receive recycling, waste grants
- NWRA Florida Chapter announces 2025 Legislative Champion Awards
- Goldman Sachs Research: Copper prices to decline in 2026
