Our monthly markets update shows prices have been healthy for recovered PET and HDPE containers, but they’ve fallen for films.
The current national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars has remained steady over the past two months, currently trading at 15.60 cents per pound. One year ago, this common curbside grade was trading 42 percent lower, at 10.95 cents per pound.
The HDPE grades also continue on a steady trend. The post-consumer natural HDPE national average from curbside collection programs is now a 27.31 cents per pound, up 3 percent from June 2017 levels. Meanwhile, the color HDPE grade has risen 10 percent from the level of 13.00 cents per pound seen in June, to the current 14.31 cents per pound.
However, over the past month, the prices of post-consumer film grades have dropped. The national average for Grade A film is now 16.25 cents per pound, down 10 percent from the 18.00 cents per pound the material was fetching in June. Grade B Film has dropped 22 percent since June, from 8.00 cents per pound to the current national average of 6.56 cents per pound.
These prices are as reported on the Secondary Materials Pricing (SMP) Index. This pricing represents what is being paid for post-consumer recyclable materials in a sorted, baled format, picked up at most major recycling centers.
For a free trial to SMP’s Online Post-Consumer Pricing Index, visit the Recycling Markets website. You can also contact Christina at [email protected] or call 330-956-8911.
