The Carton Council has confirmed continued growth in carton recycling access across the United States. In 2025, nearly 2.5 million additional households gained the ability to recycle food and beverage cartons, a figure that represents approximately 1.5% of all American households:
- Household growth in 2025 (net): 2,464,653
- 2025 year-end access: 63%
- Recycling programs that include cartons (by household): 86%
Carton recycling access is tracked through an independent third-party that measures whether households have a local recycling program that includes cartons. Today, 63% of U.S. households have access to carton recycling programs – up from 18% in 2009 when the Carton Council was founded. Residents can transparently view recycling access using the Carton Council’s address locator tool.
“Real-world recycling begins with household access,” said Jordan Fengel, Executive Director of the Carton Council. “Before a material can be sorted and recycled, residents must be able to place cartons in the recovery stream. This growth reflects direct collaboration with communities, recyclers, and policymakers to strengthen the recycling system.”
The Recycling Partnership has indicated that approximately 73% of U.S. households have access to recycling services. The Carton Council’s data indicates cartons are accepted in the vast majority of programs (86% by household), demonstrating broad compatibility with existing collection systems.
“At this stage, progress happens one program at a time,” said Jason Pelz, Vice President of Recycling at the Carton Council. “We’re working directly with local governments and material recovery facilities to update accepted material lists, optimize sortation, and ensure cartons enter recycling streams. Each community addition strengthens supply for established and emerging recycling end markets.”
Access remains the entry point that enables the rest of the system to function. The 2025 increase reflects continued coordinated growth across collection programs, sorting facilities, and recyclers – demonstrating steady, measurable improvement in real-world recycling infrastructure.
