PET scrap prices decrease this month

Prices for bales of post-consumer PET bottles have fallen by over 5% since mid-May.

The national average price for PET beverage bottles and jars is 37.50 cents per pound, compared with 39.56 cents per pound this time last month. Some regions are still trading as high as 46.00 cents per pound. PET was trading at 21.47 cents one year ago.

Prices for most other plastic grades have held relatively steady since May. 

Natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from curbside collection programs is up 2.5%, now at an average 56.19 cents per pound. This compares to 54.81 cents last month. The price was 100.25 cents this time last year. 

The national average price of color HDPE remains steady, now trading at 29.28 cents per pound, compared to 29.56 cents last month. This grade averaged 51.88 cents one year ago.

Polypropylene (PP) is also holding at around 34.13 cents per pound, compared to 34.56 cents last month. PP was 35.38 cents one year ago.

The national average price of Grade A film is steady, now at 22.94 cents per pound, compared to 22.50 last month and 18.06 cents one year ago. Grade B film is 8.19 cents, compared to 8.13 cents last month and 7.13 cents one year ago. Grade C film is still averaging 1.13 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. 

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.