US paper and paperboard mills reached record containerboard production in 2021

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), Washington, has released preliminary data from U.S. paper and paperboard mills in 2021 revealing record containerboard production. The data indicate total containerboard production last year increased 5.6 percent compared with 2020—the ninth increase in the last 10 years.

“Paper products and materials like containerboard help to meet the needs of consumers seeking sustainable choices,” says AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock. “These are some of the most-recycled materials in the United States.” Brock adds that more paper by weight is recycled from municipal waste streams than plastic, glass, steel and aluminum combined.

According to information from the AF&PA, the consumption of old corrugated containers (OCC) also may reach record numbers when it publishes new data Thursday, Jan. 20. Through November 2021, OCC consumption already had reached 22.2 million tons, just shy of the previous full-year record (22.8 million) set in 2020.

The AF&PA also says paper recycling rates have grown over time and remain consistently high—meeting or exceeding 63 percent since 2009. In 2020, the paper recycling rate remained largely unchanged at nearly 66 percent. Paper recycling has seen significant growth since 1990, which was the base year against which the AF&PA began setting its recycling goals. At that time, the rate was 33.5 percent.

“Consumer demand is growing for sustainable paper products, and our industry is investing to meet evolving customer and consumer needs,” Brock says.

“Paper recycling is a success story,” she adds. “That’s because of the industry’s investments, education efforts, the wide availability of paper recycling programs and the many millions of Americans who recycle each day.”

The paper industry has completed or announced nearly $5 billion in manufacturing infrastructure investments from 2019 to 2023, according to a news release from the AF&PA. The investments will help increase the amount of recovered paper used by U.S. mills by approximately 8 million tons—a 25 percent increase over levels seen in 2020.