CalRecycle Designates Cartons as Widely Recyclable in Updated SB 343 Report

Carton recycling access in California expands, with new data showing widespread sortation and household availability, supporting the state’s circular economy goals.

• By Stasia DeMarco
• July 23, 2025

In a significant development for sustainable packaging and recycling access, the Carton Council of North America announced that CalRecycle has updated its SB 343 Final Findings Report to reflect food and beverage cartons as widely recyclable in California.

The revised report incorporates new statewide data indicating that:

• 72% of households now have access to recycle aseptic cartons.
• 74% have access to recyclable gable top cartons, and
• 68% of California counties are served by material recovery facilities (MRFs) that accept and sort cartons.

"This update is the result of extensive collaboration and data verification with CalRecycle," said Jordan Fengel, Executive Director of the Carton Council. “Their review of real-world recycling performance ensures cartons are accurately represented. We hope this validation encourages even more residents to recycle food and beverage cartons.”

The update follows the Carton Council’s spring 2025 submission of new data showing seven additional counties began sorting cartons, bringing the total to 23 counties participating in the system since CalRecycle’s original report in April.

Fengel emphasized the update’s importance in supporting California’s broader recycling and circular economy goals, especially as the state advances its implementation of SB 54, a sweeping Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law for packaging.

“We look forward to continued engagement with CalRecycle as the SB 54 rulemaking process gets underway,” Fengel added. “Together, we can help develop a fair, effective, and transparent EPR framework that reflects California’s commitment to sustainability.”

Food and beverage cartons—made primarily from high-quality paper fiber with small amounts of plastic and aluminum—are recycled into a variety of products, including tissue, paper towels, and sustainable building materials. With the updated classification under SB 343, cartons are now positioned to play a more prominent role in California’s efforts to divert waste and support closed-loop systems.

About the Carton Council:

Formed in 2009, the Carton Council is a coalition of leading carton manufacturers including Elopak, Novolex/Pactiv Evergreen, SIG, and Tetra Pak. The organization is dedicated to building sustainable recycling infrastructure across North America. Learn more at RecycleCartons.com.