The rise in PET prices at the end of 2022 has extended into the new year, with the grade of recovered plastic seeing a 12% increase this month.
The national average post-consumer price PET Beverage Bottles & Jars it is now averaging 12.02 cents a pound, compared to 10.75 cents a pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 14.00 cents per pound, with lows in the 11 to 12 cent range. PET traded at 20.22 cents a year ago.
PET prices have been rising since September 2022, when hit a recent low of 7.53 cents.
For other grades of sidewalk plastic, January did not bring significant changes.
Natural high density polyethylene (HDPE) it has risen marginally, now trading at an average of 61.59 cents per pound. This compares with 60.06 cents last month and 56.13 cents at this time last year.
The national average price of color HDPE it is flat again this month. This grade is still at 9.00 cents per pound. Colored HDPE averaged 21.50 cents a year ago.
post consumer polypropylene (PP) it is also unchanged this month, trading at 5.38 cents per pound. The PP was 18.94 cents a year ago.
Prices for high-quality movies have gone down, but lower-quality movies have held steady month-over-month. The national average price of grade A film it is down again, now at 15.63 cents a pound, from 17.25 last month and 20.50 a year ago.
B-grade movie it is still 6.94 cents.
C grade film remains at a low of 0.50 cents per pound.
These prices are those reported in the Secondary Materials Price (SMP) Index. This price represents what you pay for post-consumer recyclable materials in a sorted and baled format, collected at most major recycling centers.
For a free trial of SMP’s online Post-Consumer Price Index, visit the Recycling Markets website. You can also contact Cristina Boulanger-Bosley a [email protected] or 330-956-8911.