Paper Recycling & Cardboard Recycling

At Smurfit Westrock, our circular business model means we view your used cardboard as a valuable raw material. Simply put, we turn old boxes into new ones!

As a global leader in paper and paper-based packaging recycling, Smurfit Westrock’s Recovered Fiber division delivers responsible, efficient, and reliable recycling solutions for used paper and cardboard

With 63 recycling plants worldwide, we process approximately 14 million tons of recovered fiber annually across our 62 paper mills. But we’re more than just the numbers—we’re dedicated to returning valuable fiber to the packaging production cycle, driving circularity for your organization and contributing to a more sustainable future.

63

63 Recycling plants around the world, preparing used paper and board for recycling at our paper mills

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62 Paper mills working to close the loop by recycling recovered paper fibers

14 M

Tons of recovered fiber consumed annually, bringing valuable paper fibers back into the packaging production loop and driving circularity at scale.

Our recycling services are tailored to your segment

RETAIL
We partner with retailers to collect discarded paper packaging—whether loose or baled—and transform the recovered fiber into new packaging, delivering a true closed-loop recycling solution.
COMMERCIAL BUSINESS
We help commercial businesses optimize their waste management by turning used paper and cardboard into a valuable resource. We purchase recyclable materials at competitive rates—enabling you to reduce waste, recover value, and meet your sustainability goals
MUNICIPALITIES
We partner with municipalities to optimize their paper and cardboard recycling programs—streamlining operations, maximizing value from recyclables, and ensuring full compliance with local legislation.

Are you looking for advice on paper and cardboard recycling?

Our specialized expertise in recycling, combined with our access to diverse markets, allows us to offer advice tailored to your specific business goals and objectives.

We can advise on best practices, provide insights into current recycling program attributes, and connect you with end-use markets or reputable recyclables processors for materials outside of our footprint.

Whether you need support with commercial recycling, business recycling, or industrial recycling, speak to one of our recycling experts to learn more.

Get in touch

Ever wondered how cardboard is recycled? Follow the journey as we turn old boxes into brand-new ones.

Cardboard Recycling FAQ's

Paper-based packaging is made from renewable, recyclable, and recycled materials—offering a truly sustainable solution. Cardboard has some of the highest recycling rates of packaging materials, especially when supported by advanced recycling systems. Cardboard packaging can be broken down and processed into new paper products and packaging — helping to minimize waste, advance brands’ sustainability goals and create a more circular future
Closed-loop recycling is a process where used materials—like paper and cardboard—are collected, processed, and reused to make the same or similar products. Through our commercial recycling services, we collect used paper and packaging, recover the fiber through our integrated recycling plants and paper mills, and then use it to produce new boxes. This process keeps materials in use for as long as possible, reducing waste and conserving natural resources.
In a linear economy, resources are used to make products that are eventually thrown away, ending up in a landfill. In contrast, a circular economy is designed to keep materials in use for as long as possible. Products and packaging are recovered, recycled and reused to create new materials in an ongoing loop. At Smurfit Westrock, we’re committed to advancing the circular economy through our footprint of integrated recycling plants and paper mills around the world. We recycle paper packaging waste and then use the recovered fiber to create new paper packaging, which will eventually be recycled again — for a truly circular process.

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Paper Recycling & Cardboard Recycling

Our recycling services are tailored to your segment

Are you looking for advice on paper and cardboard recycling?

Watch how we recycle your paper and cardboard

Cardboard Recycling FAQ's

Get in touch