Although reclaimers and others experienced disruptions in electricity and logistics, the regional RPET market as yet has not been significantly affected. | Eley Archive/Shutterstock
As the threat from wildfires in Southern California subsides thanks to heavy rains in the region, market participants said that so far the effect on RPET market has been minimal, though workers’ lives were disrupted. Continue Reading
As brand owners increasingly require larger volumes of higher-quality recycled plastic, the procurement landscape is gradually shifting to a more formalized structure, while less traditional sourcing also continues to emerge. | Meaw Stocker/Shutterstock
Editor’s note: Learn more about procurement trends and many other topics at the 2025 Plastics Recycling Conference on March 24-26 in National Harbor, Maryland. Continue Reading
In the third quarter of 2024, the Northeast Recycling Council reported the blended value of a ton, not counting the negative impact of residuals, was $121.21, up 3% from the second quarter of the year. | Nickpeps/Shutterstock
Average commodity prices rose slightly in the third quarter of the year due to national and regional trends, though the growth appears to be cooling off, according to the latest report from the Northeast Recycling Council. Continue Reading
Effects from proposed tariffs against Mexico and Canada could include market consolidation favoring larger firms that can absorb added costs. | Menzl_Guenter/Shutterstock
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series taking a closer look at the potential effects of threatened tariffs on recycled commodity markets. Read the previous installment here, on what trade flows are most likely to be affected. Continue Reading
If threatened tariffs against Mexico and Canada are implemented, trade volumes of U.S. plastic scrap could be impacted. | HuguetteRoe/Shutterstock
Although the potential effects – or even the likelihood – of threatened U.S. tariffs on Mexico and Canada are yet unknown, they’ve focused attention on the trade dynamics among the North American neighbors, including in post-consumer plastics.
Strong third-quarter commodity prices bolstered earnings for the nation’s top five haulers. | Courtesy of Republic Services
North America’s five largest publicly traded garbage and recycling companies recently reported quarterly financial results, reaching record revenues and margins.
Although third-quarter revenues reached record levels for some of the nation’s top five publicly traded haulers, plummeting fiber pricing in October was an indicator for commodity values heading into 2025. | Huguette Roe/Shutterstock
Although third-quarter commodity prices contributed to record quarterly revenues and margins for North America’s largest garbage and recycling companies, their outlook has changed moving into the final stretch of the year. Continue Reading
Rebound members can now trade more recycled materials on the platform, including plastics, metal, glass, OCC and e-scrap. | New Africa/Shutterstock
After starting in plastics, an online recycled material trading platform is expanding into glass, metal, rubber, OCC and paper and will soon add e-scrap. Continue Reading
Panelists at the 2024 E-Scrap Conference provided insight into issues facing e-plastics, and their views on what lies ahead. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
With domestic demand building slowly, U.S. processors must look to industries outside electronics manufacturing to absorb their e-plastics volumes, according to panelists at the recent E-Scrap Conference in Orlando. Continue Reading
Prices for curbside plastics bales saw varying trends for October, with PP and natural HDPE rising 33% and 11%, respectively, but PET and color HDPE saw modest declines. 