A combination of factors led to it being a quiet trading week for paper and plastics this week especially.
Half-term holidays for many, Chinese New Year celebrations and of course the situation in the Red Sea all combined to limit trading.
Next week might bring a bit more activity as people begin to trade for March, but that is also dependent on dealing with the logistical issues that are becoming more challenging for those trading deep sea.
The PRN/PERN market was also quite subdued with little variation in price.
However, there was a change in the industrial metals market with most grades seeing an increase, although this wasn’t the case for ferrous metals.
The pound was down a cent to $1.25 and unchanged at €1.17.
Recycled plastics
There was no real change for any grades this week in a very quiet plastic trading environment.
The market is waiting to see if there will be any price movement before committing, while deep sea exporters are continuing to sort out logistics.
European demand is also weak but there are also some who hope some improvement is due from there eventually.
Even the PRN/PERN market was subdued with no real change on last week.
Recycled paper
Most traders are now looking towards March and next week’s trading for it to see if that will bring any change in the market.
The majority have already done their trade for February and those who were trading weekly saw a very small fall of a couple of quid for OCC.
Logistics for deep sea buyers continues to be very difficult and it is expected to get worse before it gets better. With it being Chinese New Year in the past week, and vessel delays compounding as they are forced around Africa, it is combining to make late-February and into March more difficult.
However, material is moving for those who have it, and companies are finding a way.
Over the coming weeks, traders will continue to look for signs of which way the market is heading. Some are optimistic, but others are the opposite.
Recycled metals
Copper was up by £200 per tonne, aluminium grades by £100 per tonne and brass by £50 per tonne. Ferrous grades were unchanged.
Recycling prices
For recycled paper prices, click here
For recycled plastic prices, click here
For recycled metal prices, click here
For recycled glass prices, click here
For PRN/PERN prices, click here
