Recovered Packaging: United States
This report forecasts to 2028 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 2013 to 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 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
- HIGHLIGHTS
- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
- Historical Trends
- Key Economic Indicators
- Material Separation Technology
- Package Recycling Initiatives
- PRODUCT SEGMENTATION & FORECASTS
- Paper
- Wood
- Glass
- Metal
- Plastic
- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
- Industry Characteristics
- Market Leaders
- ABOUT THIS REPORT
- Scope
- Sources
- Industry Codes
- Freedonia Methodology
- Resources
- LIST OF TABLES & FIGURES
- 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
Research Assistance
Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.
Download eBook