One of the most meaningful indicators of recyclability is whether residents have the ability to place a package in the recycling bin; widespread access is the foundation that allows the entire recycling system to grow. For food and beverage cartons, the Carton Council engages with a credible third-party firm to quantify household recycling access – the percentage of U.S. homes with access to recycling services that accept cartons.
Throughout 2025, carton recycling access expanded by nearly 2.5 million additional households. This means that an additional 1.5% of American households can now recycle their food and beverage cartons compared to this time last year. Today, 86% of households with a recycling program have cartons included in that program.
2025 Carton Recycling Access at a Glance
- Households added in 2025 (net): 2,464,653
- 2025 year-end access: 63%
- Recycling programs that include cartons (by household): 86%
Nearly 2.5 million households gained the ability to recycle cartons last year. At current access levels, growth increasingly depends on local program updates rather than broad regional adoption; every new household that gains access to carton recycling is the result of direct collaboration with local stakeholders.
It is estimated that 73% of U.S. households have access to recycling services. This means that 86% of households that have access to a recycling program are able to recycle cartons as part of that program.
Community Expansion
Communities expanded carton recycling using both curbside collection and drop-off programs. Several 2025 additions illustrate this range of approaches:
Austin, Texas
An expanded MRF partnership added carton access for approximately 500,000 households and created a foundation for future expansion into nearby communities.
Marion County, Florida
Targeted outreach supported the implementation of county-wide drop-off recycling, bringing access to about 127,000 households.
Robeson County, North Carolina
Updated program guidance provides roughly 35,000 households with county-wide drop-off recycling.
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Coordination with municipal staff established city-wide drop-off access for approximately 16,000 households.
Titusville, Florida
A curbside recycling program update added cartons to accepted materials for about 21,000 households.
Oregon (Statewide)
With packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) now active in Oregon, better aligned collection lists led to 627,000 households gaining access to carton recycling (38% increase).
Continued Progress for Carton Recycling
Recyclability depends on three connected steps:
- Residents have access to a collection or drop-off program
- Material recovery facilities (MRFs) sort recovered material for recycling
- Recycling end markets process the recovered material
Access is the entry point to the system. When more households can initiate the crucial first step in recycling, increased supply is available to be processed by recycling facilities.
Growth in 2025 reflects the cumulative effect of local engagement, facility partnerships, and policy alignment. Progress was realized through many individual program updates across the country; carton recycling expansion continues to be built community by community.