Speakers in a session last week came from two often-opposing sides of the packaging and recycling debate: Craig Cookson of ACC and Kate Bailey from Eco-Cycle. | Screenshot from the 2021 Plastics Recycling Conference.
Last week’s Plastics Recycling Conference, held online, featured eight sessions over two days. Here are some of the talking points that caught our team’s attention.
Prices for baled curbside plastics are up across the board this month, with natural HDPE notching another record high.
Bales of curbside plastics have experienced notable price increases this month, with natural HDPE again hitting a record high.
Trex, which recycles PE film and wood fibers into composite lumber, reported 2020 sales were up 18% over the prior year. | H_Ko/Shutterstock
COVID-19 failed to dent profitability at Trex, which recycles scrap film into composite lumber. In fact, the opposite happened: Sales and profits both jumped sharply last year.
The past month has been marked by value boosts for recovered PET, HDPE and PP materials.
An industry analyst recently gave insight on how the virgin plastic market is impacting recycled plastic markets. | Joyce Blessthink/Shutterstock
Recycled plastic sellers are facing cost pressures from cheap virgin material, and an expert says reclamation costs will not come down to close that pricing gap.
Recycled-plastic consumer Unifi’s profitability increased substantially during the fourth quarter. | Elle Aon/Shutterstock
Two large manufacturers of recycled-plastic products – Unifi and Greystone Logistics – stayed on track late last year despite COVID-19 complications, financial filings show.
PRI is the latest company to open North American capacity for e-plastics. | Courtesy of Plastics Recycling, Inc.
Indianapolis-based Plastic Recycling, Inc. has expanded with a project that underscores the opportunities and complexities in recycling plastics from scrap electronics.
With fewer available drivers comes less available trucking supply, leading to higher prices and potential disruptions in trucking availability for those in the recycling industry. | Vitpho/Shutterstock
A driver shortage that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to create challenges for moving recyclables this year, analysts say.
Prices for recovered plastics increased across the board during the past month, with natural high-density polyethylene bales notching another record.