PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1931701
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1931701
Waste paper recycling involves gathering, categorizing, and transforming used paper into new paper goods. This process supports waste reduction, conserves natural resources, and decreases environmental harm by reusing paper fibers rather than manufacturing paper from virgin raw materials.
The primary categories of waste paper recycling include corrugated cardboard, newspapers, magazines, white office paper, and mixed paper. Corrugated cardboard, widely used in shipping and packaging, consists of a fluted corrugated sheet positioned between two flat linerboards, making it both sturdy and lightweight. Waste paper products include newsprint, containerboard, kraft paper, boxboard, and tissue paper. Wastepaper is sourced from post-consumer waste, post-industrial waste, commercial waste, residential waste, and construction waste. The recycling methods encompass mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, composting, energy recovery, and bio-ethanol production. These recycled materials are utilized across several industries such as pulp and paper, packaging, printing, consumer goods, and construction.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs are influencing the waste paper recycling market by affecting cross-border trade of recovered paper, recycled pulp, and recycling machinery components. Recycling operators in Asia-Pacific and Europe are most affected due to dependence on imported waste paper streams and processing equipment, while North America faces export-related pricing volatility. These tariffs are disrupting supply balances and impacting recycled paper pricing. At the same time, they are encouraging domestic waste paper collection, local recycling capacity expansion, and investments in regional recycling infrastructure.
The waste paper recycling market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides waste paper recycling market statistics, including waste paper recycling industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a waste paper recycling market share, detailed waste paper recycling market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the waste paper recycling industry. This waste paper recycling market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The waste paper recycling market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $51.36 billion in 2025 to $54.72 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing paper consumption levels, expansion of municipal recycling programs, availability of post-consumer paper waste, growth of packaging paper demand, rising environmental awareness among consumers.
The waste paper recycling market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $69.64 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for sustainable packaging materials, rising investments in advanced recycling technologies, expansion of circular economy initiatives, growing regulatory support for recycling, increasing adoption of chemical recycling methods. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of automated sorting systems, rising demand for high-quality recycled paper grades, expansion of closed-loop recycling models, growing integration of digital waste tracking systems, enhanced focus on fiber recovery efficiency.
The growing demand for recycled paper products is expected to support the expansion of the waste paper recycling market in the coming years. Recycled paper products are items produced from paper that has been reprocessed from used or discarded paper rather than relying on new raw materials. This rising demand is driven by increasing environmental awareness, as individuals and organizations aim to minimize waste generation and preserve natural resources. Waste paper recycling supplies critical raw materials and lowers dependence on virgin fiber, thereby supporting the manufacture of sustainable and high-quality recycled paper products. For example, in August 2025, according to the American Forest and Paper Association, a US-based trade organization, more than 33 million tons of cardboard were recycled in 2024, achieving a cardboard recycling rate of approximately 69%-74%, which is equivalent to nearly 90,000 tons per day. Consequently, the increasing demand for recycled paper products is contributing to the growth of the waste paper recycling market.
Leading companies in the waste paper recycling market are concentrating on launching new solutions like sustainable packaging to address environmental concerns and align with consumer preferences for eco-friendly goods. These eco-conscious packaging options, crafted entirely from recycled paper, contribute to the growth of waste paper recycling by increasing the need for reused fibers and minimizing dependency on virgin resources. For example, in October 2023, Versuni B.V., a consumer electronics firm based in the Netherlands, launched 100% recycled and recyclable paper packaging for its Philips product line. The redesigned packaging for Philips home appliances is strong enough for shipping without extra protection and uses 65% less ink due to reduced printing. It also includes QR codes instead of printed manuals, giving customers digital access to product instructions and information. Additionally, the packaging dimensions have been optimized to limit waste and eliminate unused space.
In January 2025, International Paper Company, a US-based manufacturing firm, acquired DS Smith for $7.2 billion. With this acquisition, International Paper aims to strengthen its leadership in sustainable packaging solutions and expand its presence across North America and Europe. DS Smith Plc is a UK-based packaging company that specializes in recycling waste paper and cardboard to produce sustainable, recyclable packaging.
Major companies operating in the waste paper recycling market are Waste Management Inc., Republic Services Inc., Veolia Environnement S.A., International Paper Company, Smurfit Kappa Group Plc, UPM-Kymmene Oyj, Stora Enso Oyj, Mondi Plc, Cascades Inc., DS Smith Plc, WestRock Company, Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited, Sappi Limited, Oji Holdings Corporation, Nippon Paper Industries Co Ltd, Packaging Corporation of America, Pratt Industries Inc., Georgia-Pacific LLC, Resolute Forest Products Inc., Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd, Metsa Board Corporation, Shandong Chenming Paper Holdings Limited, Klabin S.A., Grigeo AB, SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget
North America was the largest region in the waste paper recycling market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the waste paper recycling market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.
The countries covered in the waste paper recycling market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.
The waste paper recycling market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as collection, sorting, processing, de-inking, and repurposing. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The waste paper recycling market also includes sales of cardboard, craft paper, molded fiber products, and insulation materials. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
Waste Paper Recycling Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses waste paper recycling market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for waste paper recycling ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The waste paper recycling market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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