A 700,000-tons-per-year recycled pulp and paper operation is coming soon to Kentucky. | olephoto/Shutterstock
The past week brought several significant recycled paper capacity announcements, indicating future domestic outlets for mixed paper and OCC.
U.S. exporters shipped out 773 million pounds of scrap plastic in the first half of 2019. | aapsky/Shutterstock
Federal trade statistics released last week show U.S. export volumes for the first six months of 2019. Recycled plastics have seen a major drop when compared with figures from a year ago.
The U.S. paper recovery rate has been at or above 63% each year for the past decade.
Every year, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) releases the U.S. paper recovery for recycling rate. The annual figure informs us how much recovered paper is being used to create new products in a given year and is also an important indicator of how much paper and paper-based packaging is kept out of landfills after use.
A newly formed business called Willamette Falls Paper Company will reopen the former West Linn Paper Company mill. | hxdyl/Shutterstock
A shuttered paper mill near Portland, Ore. will reopen this year, and the new operator has hinted the site will incorporate recovered paper feedstock as it scales up in the future.
The average blended value for recyclables at U.S. MRFs was recently calculated at around $35 per ton. | hiv360/Shutterstock
Between overseas import restrictions, tariff impacts and domestic market volatility, an erratic environment has become the norm for recycling operators around North America.
As the industry catches its collective breath during this holiday week, we’re offering up a rundown of our biggest stories from January through June of 2019.
Bill Moore at WasteExpo 2019.
North America’s residential mixed-paper prices are deep in the negative numbers in some areas. That pain will likely persist for some time, one analyst predicts.
OCC prices have experienced a slight uptick lately, but mixed paper remains at rock-bottom values. Meanwhile, recovered PET and natural HDPE markets remain stronger.
Recycling operators across the country two years ago were enjoying record high values for old corrugated containers. Now, they are either storing the material, unloading it at little profit or sending loads to disposal.
U.S. recovered paper and plastic exports each grew slightly in April, hitting their largest monthly volumes so far in 2019.