Plastics Recycling Markets

The upward price trends for recovered PET and natural HDPE continues, according to the latest market data.

The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars continues to move up. The price is currently at 17.00 cents per pound, a 9 percent increase over the past month, when the grade traded at 15.59 cents per pound. This also represents a 23 percent increase since January 2018, when it traded nationally at 13.78 cents per pound.

Post-consumer natural HDPE from curbside collection programs also continues its upward trend. The current national average price is 37.69 cents per pound, up 26 percent since early January 2018, when the material traded at 29.97 cents per pound. In June 2017, this grade traded at 26.41 cents per pound. The current price is a return to June 2016 levels, when it traded nationally at 37.50 cents per pound.

By contrast, the national average price of color HDPE continues to drop. It is now 14.25 cents per pound, down 22 percent from late April, when it reached a high of 18.19 cents per pound. This also represents a return to July 2017 levels, when this grade traded at 14.38 cents per pound.

The national average price of commingled plastics (Nos. 1-7) continues at 2.38 cents per pound. One year ago, this grade traded at 2.44 cents per pound. Commingled (Nos. 3-7) is trading at 0.25 cents per pound, compared to one year ago, when it yielded 1.03 cents per pound.

Post-consumer Grade A film continues to trade at a national average price of 11.72 cents per pound. Grade B film is still trading at 3.74 cents per pound, while Grade C film remains at 1.38 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 Boulanger-Bosley at [email protected] or 330-956-8911.

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