The types of packaging and printed paper generated by U.S. households have changed faster in the last six years than material recovery supply chains and recycling systems, according to the second installment of The Recycling Partnership’s 2026 State of Recycling report.
It focuses on the packaging materials generated by U.S. households for recycling. Understanding materials data and the changes over time are key to evolving both sectors simultaneously, according to TRP.
Investment and innovation have caused shifts in the products and packaging entering American homes since 2020, and that “same level of investment and innovation must occur for collection, sorting, processing, and end markets so that recyclable material can become feedstock for new products,” the report says.
New types of packaging have been introduced, namely within non-bottle plastics and flexible packaging.
Still, the majority of material generated consists of packaging traditionally collected for recycling, including cardboard, glass, aluminum cans, cartons, PET bottles and polypropylene. Items now in the stream that aren’t traditionally collected in residential recycling programs include polyethylene film, polypropylene film, expanded polystyrene and compostable paper.
The amount of mixed paper and glass generated in the traditionally collected materials group shrunk during the last six years while cardboard, plastic and metals increased.
Shifts in recyclable material generation from 2020 to 2026
Overall, the tonnage of materials generated shrunk from 2020 to 2026 even though the number of U.S. households grew. TRP cited packaging lightweighting as one cause, noting that it’s possible more items are moving through the system in some categories but the items themselves weigh less. The declines in mixed paper and glass were the two biggest drivers of the overall tonnage decrease, the report said.
Material generation is affected by both consumer participation in and access to recycling programs, according to TRP. Outreach and education also are critical for ensuring consumers know how to properly recycle the changing materials in the stream.
Corrugated tonnage grew notably, largely due to the surge in e-commerce. Generation of aseptic and gable-top cartons grew the most during the six-year period, although they remain a small fraction of the overall packaging stream.
Some disparities were evident for different packaging formats that are made from the same material.
For instance, PET bottle generation dipped by 3% while non-bottle PET generation leaped by 49%. And aluminum can generation grew by nearly 19% while aluminum foil and tray generation grew by a notable 44%. However, fewer than half of U.S. residential recycling programs accept aluminum foil and trays, the report says, which highlights an area of opportunity for the industry.
Residential recycling stream changes by material
“More material in the stream does not automatically mean more material recovered,” the report says. “As the stream grows lighter, overall tonnage-based comparisons alone don’t fully explain what is happening.”
A lighter package that lowers the tons being placed on the market can still add burden to the recycling system if it has low capture, creates sorting challenges, has weak end-market value or raises contamination risk, according to the report. Some lighter formats also lower the material value for MRFs.
Extended producer responsibility also is a factor, with nearly 20% of Americans now living in an EPR state. EPR fee structures reward packaging choices that reduce waste and improve recyclability. And ecomodulation serves as an incentive to help align packaging design with the capabilities of modern collection, sorting and recycling systems. Via funding, EPR programs create opportunities for system investments and innovation, but impact will be limited unless those investments are aligned across the system, according to TRP.
Players across the value chain — including for packaging design, access, engagement, processing and end markets — must advance simultaneously or the gap between what households generate and what the system can reliably recover will widen, the report says.
