Scrap film prices rise to recent highs

Prices for bales of post-consumer film have experienced notable increases this month, but PET, HDPE and PP container prices are relatively flat.

The national average price of Grade A film is up 6%, now at 22.50 cents per pound, compared with 21.13 last month and 17.63 cents one year ago. And Grade B film is now 8.13 cents, compared with 6.56 one year ago. Prices for both are the highest they’ve been in recent memory. 

Grade C film is now averaging 1.13 cents per pound. That’s the highest price paid for this lower-grade film bale since mid-2020. 

Meanwhile, values for scrap containers are either flat or slightly up. 

The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars leveled off this month, now at an average 39.56 cents per pound, compared to 39.22 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 50 cents per pound. PET was trading at 15.69 cents one year ago. 

The average price for natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from curbside collection programs is up 2%, now at an average 54.81 cents per pound. This compares with 53.72 cents last month. The price was 89.31 cents this time last year. 

Similarly, the average price of color HDPE bales is also up 2%. This grade is now trading at 29.56 cents per pound, compared with 28.94 cents last month. Color HDPE averaged 38.44 cents one year ago.

Polypropylene (PP) is still trading at 34.56 cents per pound, the same as last month. PP was 33.31 cents one year ago.

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 Boulanger-Bosley at cmb@recyclingmarkets.net or 330-956-8911.