The recently launched SCM Global Index for paper, plastics and metals has shown significant price growth for paper, with plastics performing well and metals largely flat.
Since reaching a low of 88.72 on 15 August (and the lowest value so far recorded by the index), the SCM Global Paper Index has increased by 16.57 points. On 24 August, the paper index reached 105.29, which is the highest figure recorded for any material since the index began. As a result, paper has also been the most volatile material.
Plastics have also grown reaching a high of 102.9 yesterday. This is 8.16 points up on the 5 September low of 94.82.
Metals however have been largely flat, but the 24 October index value was its lowest so far at 98.09 showing a 3.77 point decline on its 3 October peak of 101.86.
SCM scrap-ex environmental markets manager Joe Savage said: “The SCM indices are a really useful tool for analysing and tracking price changes across materials.
“We can see from these figures that paper is currently the most volatile material recording the lowest index value of all materials of 88.72 on 15 August, but since then the pattern has largely been price growth.
“Plastics has also been performing well, while metal has largely been flat. It will be interesting to see how materials perform over the coming months as there could be economic challenges ahead.”
The SCM indices are put together from the SCM Intelligence weekly market prices for key grades of paper, plastics and metals for UK, China and US and then converted into the index value. The indices all began on 8 August 2012 at 100.
For more information on receiving SCM Intelligence each week, visit www.scrap-ex.com/intelligence
