Sellers of recycled plastics have continued to enjoy strong markets, with virtually all grades seeing value boosts from June to July.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars moved up again and is now at 23.55 cents per pound, compared with 21.47 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 27 cents per pound.
California premium PET bales are trading in the range of 35-38 cents per pound.
The national average price of post-consumer natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from curbside collection programs continues to reach new highs, now at an average $1.06 per pound. This compares to $1.00 per pound last month.
Several regions are reporting prices currently in the $1.10 per pound range for natural HDPE. The price was around 36 cents per pound one year ago.
The national average price of color HDPE, meanwhile, is 56.78 cents per pound, up from 51.88 cents last month. This compares to 3.66 cents per pound this time last year.
The national average price of polypropylene (PP) post-consumer materials is now 39.24 cents per pound, compared with 35.38 cents last month. The resin’s national average was 3.69 cents per pound one year ago.
The national average price of Grade A film is up marginally, now at 18.81 cents per pound, compared to 18.06 cents per pound last month and 7.00 one year ago. Grade B film is now 7.50 cents per pound, up from 7.13 cents last month. Grade C film remains at 0.88 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 cmb@recyclingmarkets.net or 330-956-8911.
