The Carton Council of North America announced today that CalRecycle has updated its SB 343 Final Findings Report to reflect an increase in counties served by food and beverage carton recycling and sortation programs. This update reflects the following key figures about carton recycling in California:
- 72% of households have access to aseptic carton recycling, and 74% have access to gable top carton recycling.
• 68% of the state’s counties are served by material recovery facilities (MRFs) that accept and sort cartons.
"We greatly appreciate the thorough collaboration and support from CalRecycle throughout this data submission and review process," said Jordan Fengel, executive director of the Carton Council. "Their review of new information and verification of real-world recycling system performance has ensured the status of food and beverage cartons is accurately reported. We hope the validation of being widely recyclable in California will drive more residents to recycle their food and beverage cartons."
This decision follows Carton Council’s submission of data showing that an additional seven counties have started sorting food and beverage cartons, for a total of 23, since the initial April 2025 report.
The Carton Council emphasized the importance of continued partnership as California implements SB 54 to develop an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for packaging.
"We look forward to continued engagement with CalRecycle during the upcoming SB 54 rulemaking process," Fengel added. "Together, we can establish a well-performing, equitable and transparent EPR program that supports California’s ambitious recycling and circular economy goals."
Food and beverage cartons are a valuable recyclable material used to make products such as paper towels, tissue and other types of packaging, as well as sustainable building materials. The Carton Council continues to work with recycling facilities, municipalities and state agencies nationwide to grow the recycling of food and beverage cartons.
The Carton Council is composed of four leading carton manufacturers, Elopak, Novolex/Pactiv Evergreen, SIG and Tetra Pak. Formed in 2009, the Carton Council works to deliver long-term collaborative solutions to divert valuable cartons from the landfill. Through a united effort, the Carton Council is committed to building a sustainable infrastructure for carton recycling in the U.S. and Canada and works toward its goals of adding access to carton recycling, as well as increasing recycling rates. For more information, visit RecycleCartons.com (U.S.) or RecycleCartons.ca (Canada).