A new order for the recovered paper market – largely driven by China and circularity ambitions

Our recently published Recovered paper and pulp world map explores how China’s recovered paper (RCP) policies have redirected RCP exports away from China to Southeast Asia and India. Despite still relying on RCP imports – largely through imports of recycled pulp and containerboard from Southeast Asia – China has created a diversified fiber supply. While global RCP trade seems to have stabilized in its new shape, major exporters like the US and Europe will continue to explore new export destinations for excess RCP. The EU’s new waste shipment regulation could, however, limit the EU’s RCP export opportunities to Southeast Asia and India due to additional compliance costs compared to imports from the US and the UK.

This surplus, in combination with the necessity to improve the recyclability of more challenging paper packaging grades, continues to spur players across the supply chain to look for innovations and to invest in recycling infrastructure capable of handling different types of paper packaging. Leveraging collaborations across the supply chain is crucial to better capitalize on the competitive advantages that paper packaging’s high recycling rates offer over other materials.

> Click here to download the Recovered paper and pulp world map 2025

Poster versions of the Recovered paper and pulp world map are exclusively available to Rabobank clients. To receive one, please contact your relationship manager.