According to The Recycling Partnership, the 2026 Recycling Confidence Index sits at 609 out of 1,000, down 18 points from the 2022 baseline score of 627.
First launched in August 2022, the Recycling Confidence Index was designed to track resident confidence and identify the factors that could be improved to support a system where people can and do recycle. This 2026 update shows where confidence has shifted, and where the system is gaining ground.
Anthony Tusino, senior director of public policy and government affairs of The Recycling Partnership commented, “Consumer confidence in recycling is falling, and on–pack labeling can help consumers make the right choice when it comes to being part of an effective recycling system, but labeling is one piece. A truly effective recycling system requires five things – packaging is designed to be recycled; communities have access; constituents are engaged; materials are sorted and processed; and end markets turn old material into new products, demanding recycled content for recycled content products.”
Published September 2026
