Since 2000, the European paper value chain has been committed to the two-fold aim of improving recycling and increasing efforts signatories of the new European Declaration on Paper Recycling 2021-20301 committed to reach a 76% paper recycling rate by 2030.
Already in 2025, 76.4% of all paper and board consumed in Europe was recycled. The recycling rate is defined as the ratio between the recycling of used paper, including net trade of Paper for Recycling (PfR), and consumption of new paper and board. In a year to-year comparison, the total amount of paper and board collected and recycled in the paper sector in 2025 decreased by 0.3% to 53.9 million tonnes, while consumption of paper and board decreased by 0.4% to 70.5 million tonnes. Asconsumption of paper and board has decreased the same way as the recycling of paper and board within and outside
 

EPRC Recycling Monitoring Report 2025 (October 2026)

More information: European Paper Recycling Council