Anyone who wonders if what they put in the recycling bin really gets recycled should check out the Paper and Packaging Board’s new “The Future of Recycling” video, a peak into the investments the US paper and packaging industry is making to keep paper recycling working for the next 100 years.

In just three minutes, the video gives viewers an insider tour of two new facilities showcasing the kinds of technology the US paper and packaging industry is investing nearly $7 billion in through 2025.

That includes the newest, biggest, and most high-tech coated recycled containerboard mill in North America from Graphic Packaging International in Kalamazoo, MI, and a bold and potentially game-changing experimental facility from Georgia-Pacific’s Juno waste diversion and recycling plant in Toledo, Oregon.

Juno recovers up to 90% of the materials it processes, diverting them from landfills and incinerators. These materials – things like paper fiber, food, plastics, and metals – are then circulated back into the economy for reuse as raw materials and biogas.

To bring the stories to life, the skilled individuals who keep these facilities running smoothly are featured, highlighting the unique pride they have in waking up each morning to go to a job that’s making the world better today and for future generations.

“Sustainability, resource stewardship, the circular economy—they’re not just buzzwords or virtue signals for the paper and packaging industry,” says Mary Anne Hansan. “They’re at the core of what the industry does and has done for decades even before people knew what those terms meant.

“Our goal is to show how innovative the industry is and have consumers walk away with knowing that their individual choices, like recycling, have a positive impact on the environment,” adds Hansan. “Everyone has a part to play in solving the waste diversion and resource recovery problem. Our industry is a leader and consumers can help by choosing paper-based products and recycling them.”

Most US paper mills use some recycled paper to make products such as carboard boxes, paper, cereal or tissue boxes, paper towels, padded mailers and newspapers.