June has brought a widespread drop in prices for baled post-consumer plastic, with PET, HDPE and PP all down significantly.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars is down 11% this month. The price is now averaging 12.63 cents per pound, compared with 14.20 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are still trading as high as 14 cents to 16 cents per pound. This grade was trading at 37.50 cents one year ago.
Polyethylene prices are also down. The national average for natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is 68.75 cents per pound, down from 74.59 cents last month. A year ago, the value sat at 56.19 cents.
Color HDPE fell harder. The price for this grade dropped 20% this month and is now averaging 12.88 cents per pound. That compares with 16.09 cents last month and 29.28 cents one year ago.
The national average price for polypropylene (PP) dropped 33% this month. This grade is now trading at 7.69 cents per pound, compared with 10.25 cents last month. PP was 34.13 cents one year ago.
The national average for Grade A film remains steady at 17.81 cents per pound. It traded at 22.94 cents one year ago.
Grade B film is also steady at 7.50 cents. A year ago, it was 8.19 cents.
Grade C film remains at a nominal 0.19 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 recyclingmarkets.net. You can also contact Christina Boulanger-Bosley at cmb@recyclingmarkets.net or call 330-956-8911.
