All grades of commonly sorted curbside plastic experienced substantial price increases this month.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars moved up by 17% this month. The per-pound price is now averaging 39.22 cents, compared with 33.42 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 49.00 cents per pound. PET was trading at 12.03 cents one year ago.
Natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from curbside collection programs is up 13%, now at an average 53.72 cents per pound. This compares with 47.47 cents last month. The price was 83.72 cents this time last year.
The national average price of color HDPE is up 12%, now trading at 28.94 cents per pound, compared with 25.75 cents last month. This grade averaged 31.94 cents one year ago.
Polypropylene (PP) is also selling for more money this month. The price is averaging 34.56 cents per pound, up 17% from last month’s average of 29.44 cents per pound. PP was 29.69 cents one year ago.
A couple of film grades are also experiencing rising values this month. The national average price of Grade A film is up 3%, at 21.13 cents per pound. This grade was trading at 15.63 cents one year ago.
Grade B film is now 7.44 cents, compared with 5.63 one year ago.
Grade C film is still averaging 0.81 cents per pound.
Prices were generally down or flat for other curbside commodities.
The national average for sorted, baled aluminum cans dropped 8% this month. UBCs are now at 114.00 cents per pound, compared with 123.81 cents last month. This material was trading at an average 61.5 cents per pound this time last year.
Sorted, baled steel cans remain steady this month, at an average $236 per ton. The price was $230 per ton one year ago.
The national average price for corrugated containers (PS 11) is down $2 per ton this month, now trading at an average $132 per ton. OCC was trading for about $90 per ton this time last year.
Sorted residential papers (PS 56) are unchanged at $100 per ton. This compares with $55 per ton one year ago.
Mixed paper (PS 54) remains steady at about $70 per ton this month. At this time last year, this fiber grade sold for less than $32 per ton.
Sorted office papers (PS 37) are up again by 3%, now trading for about $220 per ton, compared with $214 last month and an average $111 one year ago.
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.
