With China having recently shaken up export possibilities, industry leaders in the U.S. have amplified their calls for more domestic markets for recyclables. Two upcoming events aim to accelerate that process.
With China having recently shaken up export possibilities, industry leaders in the U.S. have amplified their calls for more domestic markets for recyclables. Two upcoming events aim to accelerate that process.
Composite decking manufacturer Trex saw significant boosts in sales last year, in part due to China’s impacts on recovered PE markets.
Following the price hikes in March and April, the market in China for recovered plastic material has declined since the second half of May both in pricing and demand.
During the past year, the national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars rose steadily by 68 percent, from 8.6 cents per pound in March 2016 to the current 14.5 cents per pound.
Our monthly look at values for common post-consumer materials shows steadiness in recovered PET, HDPE and film grades.
Our monthly markets update shows prices have been healthy for recovered PET and HDPE containers, but they’ve fallen for films.
While prices for recovered PET and HDPE have remained steady or increased, post-consumer film values continue to nose-dive.
China’s import policy changes are straining recovered plastics export markets, particularly impacting mixed rigids. Recycling companies have been forced to stockpile and even landfill the materials, while numerous municipal programs have stopped accepting mixed plastics.
