OCC prices increased for the 14th consecutive month in February, reaching a high they haven’t hit since summer 2022. Prices for other curbside fiber and plastic grades also either increased or remained steady. Continue Reading
A warm welcome back to “Women in Circularity,” where we shine a light on women moving us toward a circular economy. This month, I connected with a dedicated nonprofit professional: Karen Jayne. Karen is the Chief Executive Officer of Stardust in Phoenix, Arizona—an innovative nonprofit organization that operates two reuse centers and offers deconstruction services that diverts reclaimed building materials from landfills and supports economic and environmental sustainability in their community. She has more than 13 years of expertise in building materials reuse. Continue Reading
By mid-2024, Ottawa, Canada grocers hope to have a reusable packaging system going for customers. | Deemerwha Studio/Shutterstock
Major grocery retailers and other foodservice businesses in Ottawa, Ontario will start selling foods in reusable, returnable containers later this year through a first-of-its-kind pilot program to help reduce single-use plastic packaging, according to a press release from the pilot’s organizers. Continue Reading
The new year kicked off with good news for MRF operators, who saw OCC and mixed paper fetching higher prices and curbside plastic grades mostly holding steady.
The national average price for corrugated containers (PS 11) is up again this month, from $80 in December to $87 per ton this month. This compares to $29 per ton this time last year. It’s the highest OCC prices have reached since falling sharply in September 2022.
Mixed paper (PS 54) is also up by $10 this month, and is now trading at $48 per ton. This compares to $0 per ton this time last year.
Sorted residential papers (PS 56) are up by $10, now trading at an average $61 per ton. This compares to $23 per ton one year ago.
Sorted office papers (PS 37) remain unchanged at $132 per ton. This compares to an average $221 per ton one year ago.
In the plastics space, grades had marginal or no movement in price.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars is up marginally this month, now averaging 11.47 cents per pound, compared to 11.02 cents per pound this time last month. Some regional contracts are still yielding 13 to 15 cents per pound. One year ago this grade was trading at 12.02 cents per pound.
Post-consumer natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) dropped marginally, now at an average 28.50 cents per pound. This compares to 29.50 cents last month and 61.59 cents this time last year.
Color HDPE remained unchanged this month, now at an average 18.81 cents per pound. It was 9 cents one year ago.
Post-consumer polypropylene (PP) also remains unchanged at 4.94 cents per pound. PP was 5.38 cents one year ago.
The national average price of Grade A film remains unchanged at 13.88 cents per pound. It traded at 15.63 cents one year ago.
Grade B film remains unchanged at 6.88 cents.
Grade C film remains at a nominal 0.13 cents per pound.
Aluminum cans remain steady, at 61 cents per pound. These used beverage cans (UBCs) traded for 65 cents per pound this time last year.
Sorted, baled steel cans remain constant at $212 per ton. The price was $156 per ton 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 (http://www.recyclingmarkets.net). You can also contact Christina Boulanger-Bosley at [email protected] or call 330-956-8911.
