According to a national pricing index, the value of scrap PET, color HDPE and PP bales all surged of late, with increases in the double-digit percentages.
The national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars jumped 24% this month. This grade is now selling for an average 33.42 cents per pound, compared with 26.88 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are trading as high as 41.00 cents per pound. PET was trading at 10.14 cents one year ago.
A couple of other recycled plastic grades also saw big jumps. Color HDPE is up 32% and is now trading at 25.75 cents per pound, compared with 19.50 cents last month. This grade averaged 23.63 cents one year ago.
Additionally, the national average price of post-consumer polypropylene is up 30%, trading at 29.44 cents per pound. That compares with 22.63 cents last month and 28.34 cents one year ago.
Other plastics are either down or flat this month.Â
Bucking the upward trend of color HDPE, natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is down 13% this month, now at an average 47.47 cents per pound. This compares with 54.56 cents last month. The price was 70.25 cents this time last year. The price has been falling since hitting a record of 108.44 cents in September 2021.Â
The national average price of Grade A film remains unchanged at 20.50 cents per pound. This grade was trading at 13.69 cents one year ago.Â
Grade B film is also unchanged at 7.25 cents per pound, compared to 5.13 one year ago.
Grade C film is still averaging 0.81 cents per pound.
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.Â
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 [email protected] or 330-956-8911.
