NERC Releases Final Update on Increased Capacity to Use Recycled Paper

March 13, 2024

The Northeast Recycling Council's (NERC) has published the final update to its Recycled Paper Capacity Increases in North America report. This update reflects continuing progress to use more recycled paper in North America. Twenty-three of the 25 projects in the report are now completed. One will open this spring and another in 2026. Download the most recent report.


This update includes projects at 25 mills, of which 23 have been completed. The 23 completed projects include five new mills. When NERC first published this list in November 2018, it included new capacity at 17 mills, of which three projects were completed. 


The list of additional recycled paper capacity includes new paper mills, expansion of existing capacity at packaging mills, and conversions of printed paper machines at existing mills to produce packaging paper (e.g. from newsprint to packaging). The list also includes several mills that are producing recycled fiber pulp for export and one mill designed to use food contaminated paper from commercial sources. 


The majority of new capacity increases in this list are for mills producing linerboard and corrugated medium. They will use old corrugated containers (OCC), often called “cardboard boxes”, as their feedstock. They are unlikely to use mixed paper, whether derived from residential or commercial recycling programs, unless their stock preparation system allows for its use. However, up to half of these mills plan to use mixed paper, although it is likely to be a minor input. Several mills plan to consume significant amounts of residential mixed paper (RMP) which is collected at curbsides throughout the country. Because the price for mixed paper tracks that of OCC, increased capacity and market value for OCC normally increases the price paid for RMP.


These 25 projects have the potential to use more than 8 million tons of OCC and RMP. However, less efficient, more costly capacity is often closed when new capacity comes on-line. This is already happening. While we do not know yet what the total new capacity will be, we know this expansion in using recycled paper is unprecedented.


NERC has been reporting on national investment in paper recycling infrastructure since November 2018. The report has been updated five times.



For further information, contact Megan Fontes, NERC Executive Director, or Chaz Miller, Chair of the NERC-NEWMOA Regional Recycling Markets Committee, megan@nerc.org or chazmiller9@gmail.com.

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By Megan Fontes May 29, 2025
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) published its Chemical Recycling Policy Position on May 30, 2025. The purpose of the policy statement is to articulate guiding principles for environmentally responsible chemical recycling of plastics. NERC supports the conservation of natural resources, waste minimization, and recognizes the role of recycling in reaching these goals. Plastic is a prevalent material for packaging and other products due to its material properties. Producing virgin plastic from fossil fuels is an extractive process with negative environmental and social impacts. Therefore, NERC supports reduction, reuse, and recycling processes that displace virgin production in plastics where environmentally preferable. You can view the policy statement here: https://www.nerc.org/chemical-recycling . The Policy Position was developed by the Subcommittee of the NERC Chemical Recycling Committee. Participants on the Subcommittee included Committee Chair Tom Metzner, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP); Claudine Ellyin, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP); John Fay, Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA); Anthony Fontana, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Retired ; Michael Fowler, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP); Timothy Kerr, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), Left MDE ; Shannon McDonald, Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE); Chaz Miller, Ex-Officio, NERC Board; Elizabeth Moore, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CTDEEP); Marc Moran, Pennsylvania Department Of Environmental Protection; Michael Nork, New Hampshire Department Of Environmental Services; Megan Schulz-Fontes, Northeast Recycling Council (NERC); and Richard Watson, Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA). NERC created the Chemical Recycling Committee in 2022 with the goal of sharing information on new technologies called “chemical recycling.” The Committee shares information on the efficacy, cost, and impacts of these new technologies. Our Policy is the result of those efforts. The Committee is open to NERC state members and several advisory member organizations whose participation has been approved by the state members serving on the committee. NERC has published several other policy positions including the Post-Consumer Recycled Content Policy (2019) and Product Stewardship and Producer Responsibility Policy (2018), which can be found among others on NERC’s website: https://www.nerc.org/policy-positions-and-statements . For more information, contact Megan Schulz-Fontes, Executive Director, at megan@nerc.org .
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