In the race to meet ambitious 2025 and 2030 sustainability targets, packaging companies across the U.S. are reporting real momentum in their use of recycled plastic. Fueled by consumer brand commitments and an expanding patchwork of state-level recycling mandates, the use of post-consumer resin (PCR) is finally starting to scale.

And that’s great news for the environment.

PCR is made from plastic waste that might otherwise end up in landfills or as pollution in nature. Its use not only gives discarded plastic a second life, but also replaces virgin, fossil-based resins, offering a lower carbon footprint and helping reduce dependence on new plastic production.

Recent sustainability reports from major packaging manufacturers show strong upward trends in PCR consumption, especially among companies with operations in Europe, where recycling policies are more advanced and ambitious.

European Leaders Setting the Pace

Austria-based ALPLA, which operates 17 U.S. facilities, is leading by example. The company reached 21.9% PCR usage in 2024 and is on track to hit 25% by the end of 2025.

Henkel, the German company behind brands like Dial soap, has already incorporated 25% recycled plastic into its packaging. It expects to reach its goal of 30% by the end of this year.

Similarly, Klockner Pentaplast (based in Luxembourg) used 25% PCR in 2023 and has also set a 30% target for 2025.

U.S. Brands Gaining Ground

Progress is also being made closer to home. Atlanta-based CKS Packaging has quadrupled its PCR use in just two years and anticipates further growth in 2025, driven largely by customer demand.

Procter & Gamble reported that 17% of the plastic used in its packaging (equivalent to 116,000 metric tons) came from recycled sources in the fiscal year ending March 2024, up from 14% the year prior.

Meanwhile, packaging giant Berry Global logged a 43% year-over-year increase in PCR purchases, bringing PCR’s share of its total resin use to 5.1% in 2024, up from 3.6% in 2023.

“Berry’s use of PCR has been growing exponentially, and there is no reason to believe it will slow down,” said Robert Flores, Vice President of Sustainability at Berry Global. “That’s especially true given the number of customers that still have 2025 PCR targets, as well as the regulatory landscape promoting PCR.”

Although Europe still accounts for the majority of Berry’s PCR purchases, North America is closing the gap. In 2019, just 5% of the company’s PCR was sourced from North America. That number climbed to over 20% in 2024.

Policy Driving Progress

State-level mandates are playing a major role in accelerating PCR adoption.

Washington State, for example, introduced a 15% PCR requirement for household cleaners and personal care product packaging in early 2025 and raised the threshold for PCR in trash bags from 10% to 15%.

Other states, such as California, New Jersey, Maine, and Connecticut, have passed laws establishing minimum PCR content in various types of packaging, with phased increases planned over the coming years.

Meanwhile, states such as Minnesota and Colorado have implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws that include recycled content requirements.

Canada is exploring a federal-level mandate for recycled content in packaging, but such nationwide legislation remains politically challenging in the U.S.

The Bottom Line

With regulatory pressure mounting and sustainability commitments approaching their deadlines, the shift toward recycled plastics is no longer theoretical—it’s happening. Brands, suppliers, and lawmakers are aligning on the path forward, and PCR is taking center stage as a key ingredient in the future of packaging.