A new report on plastics recycling published in July 2026, estimates that in the US, at least 5.1 billion pounds (2.3 million metric tons) of post-consumer plastic were recovered for recycling in 2024, representing a modest increase compared with 2022. The report highlights growth in plastic film recovery, but continuing declines in plastic bottle recovery along with ongoing challenges for the recycled plastics market.
The study, conducted by Stina Inc. with support from the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) and the U.S. Plastics Pact, compiles data from voluntary surveys of North American recyclers, exporters, and other stakeholders handling post-consumer plastics. The study covers bottles, non-bottle rigid plastics, film, and other plastic categories (excluding foam and carpet) recovered from US sources.
According to the report, total post-consumer plastic recovered for recycling increased by 114.9 million pounds compared with 2022, reversing a decline observed in the previous reporting period. However, the increase was not evenly distributed across material categories (FPF reported). The recovery of plastic film rose by 206.8 million pounds, while bottle recovery declined by 89.3 million pounds and non-bottle rigid plastic recovery declined by 7.5 million pounds. The report does not provide recycling rates for individual plastic categories, making it difficult to assess whether changes in recovered quantities reflect changes in collection and recycling performance, changes in the amount of material placed on the market, or other factors.
Bottles remained the largest category of recovered plastic, accounting for slightly over half of the total, with PET bottles alone representing 36.8%. Film accounted for 25.7% of recovered plastic, up from 22.1% in 2022, while non-bottle rigid plastics represented 21.5%.
Most recovered plastic remained within North America for processing. Reclaimers in the US, Canada, and Mexico acquired 93.8% of recovered plastic, while 6.2% was exported overseas. The authors note that this represents a substantial shift from 2014, when overseas exports accounted for nearly one-third of recovered plastic (FPF reported and here).
Within individual categories, PET and HDPE bottles continued to dominate bottle recycling streams, accounting for nearly all recovered bottles. For non-bottle rigid plastics, HDPE and polypropylene together represented more than two-thirds of recovered material. According to the report, the increase in recovered plastic film was mainly attributable to greater recovery of polyethylene film from both commercial and consumer sources.
The report notes that recyclers continue to face economic and technical challenges. Respondents reported supply constraints, weak demand for recycled plastics, and competition from low-cost virgin resins. They also identified contamination and variable feedstock quality as major operational concerns (FPF reported). Despite these challenges, some recyclers reported ongoing investments in capacity expansion.
Reference
Stina Inc. (2026). “2024 U.S. Post-consumer Plastic Recycling Data Study.”
