PT Online

Recycled resin pricing overall was relatively stable over the spring and summer, except for PET on the West Coast, where there has been a lot of dumping from Asia and even Canada, sources say. Post-industrial resin prices have been firming in polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, and PVC.

Recycled PET is facing a lot of competition from new capacity coming on stream, including a new facility coming on line in North Carolina from Indorama Polymers. So, there is more competition for reduced market demand. California had been offering an incentive to buy recycled product, but that incentive has been reduced by 85%, one reclaimer reports. Buying flake may just not be worth it when you can get off spec virgin materials for nearly the same price.

On the East Coast, demand for recycle is up, but supply is limited, owing to the “double whammy” of lightweighted beverage bottles and a cool summer in the East, which reduced beverage consumption.

Despite these factors, there was very little change in recycled PET pricing during the third quarter. Prices blipped up, and then came right back down to where they started. “We think there might be a dip in the Fall as demand decreases,” said another recycler.