This page summarises verified UK government figures on paper and cardboard packaging recycling. Every figure below states its source, reporting period, geography and definition. All figures combine paper and cardboard packaging together, as that is how GOV.UK reports this material category; none are cardboard alone.
Paper and Cardboard Packaging Recycling Rate, 2024
In 2024, the UK recycled 84.1% of paper and cardboard packaging waste, based on 4,838 thousand tonnes of paper and cardboard packaging waste arising and 4,069 thousand tonnes recovered or recycled. This was the second-highest material recycling rate that year, behind steel at 85.5% (GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste).
- Source: GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste
- Reporting period: Calendar year 2024 (final figures)
- Geography: UK
- Denominator: Thousand tonnes of paper and cardboard packaging waste arising
- Measure: Achieved recycling rate (%), National Packaging Waste Database and Reported Packaging Data
Provisional 2025 Figures
Provisional data for 2025 shows a paper and cardboard packaging recycling rate of 80.3%, from 4,852 thousand tonnes arising and 3,895 thousand tonnes recycled. This is provisional and subject to revision as more data is reported (GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste).
- Source: GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste
- Reporting period: Calendar year 2025 (provisional, data extracted 9 September 2026)
- Geography: UK
- Denominator: Thousand tonnes of paper and cardboard packaging waste arising
- Measure: Achieved recycling rate (%)
Overall UK Packaging Recycling Rate
Across all packaging materials, the UK recycled 73.2% of packaging waste in 2024, and a provisional 70.5% in 2025. This overall figure covers metal, paper and cardboard, glass, plastic and wood combined, not paper and cardboard alone (GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste).
- Source: GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste
- Reporting period: Calendar years 2024 (final) and 2025 (provisional)
- Geography: UK
- Denominator: Total thousand tonnes of packaging waste arising, all materials
Household Recycling Rate for Context
The UK recycling rate for waste from households, which includes but is not limited to paper and card, was 44.5% in 2024, down 0.1 percentage points from 44.6% in 2023. By nation, this was 43.8% in England, 42.7% in Scotland, 58.6% in Wales and 50.1% in Northern Ireland (GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste). This is a household waste measure covering multiple materials, not a commercial cardboard baling or packaging-specific figure, and is included here for scope only.
- Source: GOV.UK, UK statistics on waste
- Reporting period: Calendar year 2024
- Geography: UK and constituent nations
- Denominator: Total waste from households, all recyclable materials
Why Scope Matters for These Figures
Paper and cardboard packaging statistics measure business and household packaging placed on the market and subsequently recycled; they are not the same as a collection rate, a recovery rate for non-packaging cardboard, or a value or rebate figure for any individual load. Businesses asking what their own bales might be worth should see our cardboard bale pricing guide, since market conditions and load specifics, not national averages, determine an individual quote. For the physical recycling process behind these figures, see how cardboard is recycled.
This page is reviewed against the current GOV.UK release; figures are correct as of the dataset retrieval date shown above and will be updated when GOV.UK publishes revised data.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute professional or legal advice. For guidance on your specific waste, please contact our team.