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How to Recycle Paper
Paper recycles at 60-64% and cardboard at 69-74% in the US (2024, AF&PA) - about 125,000 tons of paper and 90,000 tons of cardboard recovered every day. Grease on a pizza box and a plastic envelope window are rarely the problem; wet, soaked paper is.
14 materials covered12 recyclable
Cardboard
Corrugated cardboard boxes and packaging materials - one of the highest-performing recyclables in the US, at a 69-74% recycling rate in 2024 (AF&PA), above paper's 60-64% overall rate.
Learn how to recycle Cardboard
Newspapers
Daily newspapers, weekly papers, and newsprint. EPA measured a 64.8% recycling rate for newspapers in 2018, one of the highest of any paper grade.
Learn how to recycle Newspapers
Office Paper
White and colored office paper, documents, and computer paper - one of the higher-value grades in the paper recycling stream.
Learn how to recycle Office Paper
Magazines
Glossy magazines, catalogs, and other coated-paper publications.
Learn how to recycle Magazines
Phone Books
Telephone directories and yellow pages.
Learn how to recycle Phone Books
Paper Bags
Brown paper grocery bags, lunch sacks, shopping bags, and takeout bags.
Learn how to recycle Paper Bags
Junk Mail
Unwanted advertising mail, catalogs, and promotional materials - part of the roughly 23% of US solid waste that's mail-related paper.
Learn how to recycle Junk Mail
Wrapping Paper
Paper used for wrapping gifts - recyclable when it's plain paper, not when it's foil, glitter, or plastic-coated.
Learn how to recycle Wrapping Paper
Paperboard
Cereal boxes, shoe boxes, tissue boxes, and other lightweight paperboard - the cardboard box itself, not the tissue paper or product inside it.
Learn how to recycle Paperboard
Shredded Paper
Paper shredded for security, a material where local rules differ from city to city.
Learn how to recycle Shredded Paper
Paper Towels & Napkins
Used paper towels, napkins, tissues, and similar food-service paper that usually belongs in organics or trash rather than mixed-paper recycling.
Learn how to recycle Paper Towels & Napkins
Thermal Receipts
Heat-sensitive cash-register, ATM, lottery, and shipping receipts that look like paper but use a coated thermal surface.
Learn how to recycle Thermal Receipts
Pizza Boxes
Corrugated cardboard delivery boxes for pizza. They are among the most common items people hesitate over at the bin, and most of the box goes back to a paper mill.
Learn how to recycle Pizza Boxes
Egg Cartons
Egg cartons come in three materials: molded paper pulp, clear PET plastic, and polystyrene foam. Each one follows a different route, so identify the material before you sort it.
Learn how to recycle Egg Cartons
Guides, tools, and research
Continue from individual material instructions to the broader guide, calculator, or research page for this topic.
Paper towels and napkins
Learn why these short-fiber items usually belong in organics or trash, not paper recycling.
Thermal receipts
Separate heat-sensitive receipt paper from ordinary office paper and check the right disposal route.
Food-soiled paper and cardboard
Resolve the pizza-box, grease, and compost-versus-recycling decision.
Complete home recycling guide
Use one household decision framework across paper, containers, organics, and special waste.
Check a paper item
Look up a specific paper product before placing it in a bin.
Find paper recycling centers
Search recycling centers by city or ZIP, then call ahead to confirm they take paper.
Complete Paper Recycling Guide
Paper Recycling Success Story
Paper achieves 65-68% recycling rate in the US - one of the highest for any material.125,000 tons of paper is recycled daily. Paper can be recycled 5-7 times before fibers become too short for reuse.
- • Cardboard: 96% of boxes are recycled - highest rate
- • Office paper: High-quality, easily recyclable
- • Newspaper: Becomes new newsprint, tissue, insulation
- • Mixed paper: Lower grade but still valuable
Environmental Impact
Recycling paper uses 60% less energy than making new paper from trees. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 4,100 kWh of electricity.
What it avoids:
- • Prevents deforestation - saves 17 trees per ton recycled
- • Reduces landfill methane - paper is 26% of landfills
- • Saves 7,000 gallons of water per ton recycled
- • Creates 9 jobs for every 15,000 tons recycled vs. 1 for landfilling
Paper Recycling FAQ
Can I recycle greasy pizza boxes?
Recycle the clean parts. Tear off the greasy, cheese-stuck bottom and compost or trash it. Light grease spots are fine in most programs, and the clean lid always goes in the cart.
Do I need to remove tape and staples?
No. Paper mills screen out staples and small bits of tape during pulping. Pull off heavy layers of packing tape, and leave envelope windows and labels alone.
Should I shred paper before recycling?
Only documents with financial or personal information. Shredding cuts the paper fibers short, which lowers their value, and loose shreds fall through sorting screens. Many curbside programs reject shredded paper outright, and the ones that take it want it in a closed paper bag.
What paper products can't be recycled?
Keep wax-coated paper, thermal receipts, napkins, paper towels, facial tissue, carbon paper, sticker backing, and photos out of mixed-paper recycling. Plain, clean tissue paper goes in most mixed-paper carts; tissue with glitter, foil, or a plastic lining goes in the trash.
Can glossy magazines and catalogs be recycled?
Yes. The clay coating on glossy paper washes out during pulping. Magazines, catalogs, and brochures go in the mixed-paper cart and come back as paperboard, tissue, and other paper products.
Why do we still recycle paper if trees are renewable?
Because recycled fiber replaces new pulp, saves energy and water at the mill, and keeps paper out of landfills. Paper is the backbone of US recycling: EPA counted 68.2 percent of paper and paperboard recycled in 2018, and paper makes up about two thirds of everything Americans recycle by weight.