Lucrative Plastic Scrap: Understanding Its Worth

The price of plastic scrap is linked to the secondary plastics market, with higher prices triggered by larger trade flows and larger demand for secondary materials. The average price of plastic scrap in Europe reached its highest value in 2022, at 467 Euros per tonne. In 2017, the average price of PVC guttering, mouldings and fixings was up to £250 per tonne, while acrylic PMMA scrap was bought for £200-£250 per tonne. Polypropylene (PP) is currently trading at 8.13 cents per pound, compared with 5.38 cents last month.

The average price of plastic scrap in Europe in 2022 was 467 Euros/tonne

The price of plastic scrap varies depending on the type of plastic. For example, in 2017, the average price for PVC guttering, mouldings and fixings was up to £250 per tonne, while acrylic PMMA scrap from old shop display stands and office desk covers was bought for £200-£250 per tonne. Polypropylene (PP) is another type of plastic scrap that has seen price increases, trading at 8.13 cents per pound in 2023, compared to 5.38 cents per pound the previous month.

The price of plastic scrap is linked to the secondary plastics market

The average yearly price of plastic scrap is based on values and quantities from international trade in goods statistics from Eurostat (code 3915: Waste Pairings and Scrap of Plastics). The average price is calculated by dividing the total value of Extra and Intra-EU waste exports and imports by the corresponding quantities, accounting for exports between EU Member States and countries outside the EU, imports from EU Member States (both from intra-EU and extra-EU countries), while the intra-EU exports are not included to avoid double counting. In Europe, the average price of plastic scrap reached its highest value in 2022, at 467 Euros/tonne. The lowest value was reached in 2020 (247 EUR/tonne) before increasing in 2021 and 2022. Possible driving forces for the changes in the past few years may be linked to a combination of the consequences of the Chinese ban that started in 2018, the pandemic starting in 2020, the amendments in the Basel Convention in 2020, and a conjectured increase in the quality of traded plastic scrap.

The price of plastic scrap can vary depending on the type of plastic and the market conditions at the time. For example, polypropylene (PP) is currently trading at 8.13 cents per pound, a 51% increase from last month. High- and mid-grade films, which don't typically see dramatic price swings, are also rising. The national average price of Grade A film is now 16.94 cents per pound, compared to 15.63 cents last month.

The price of plastic scrap can also vary depending on the specific type of plastic and its source. For instance, 2017 averages for PVC guttering, mouldings, and fixings were up to £250 per tonne, while acrylic PMMA scrap from old shop display stands and office desk covers bought £200-£250 per tonne.

The price of plastic scrap can be determined by larger trade flows

The price of plastic scrap is necessarily linked to the secondary plastics market. The price of plastic scrap provides an indicator that is useful to assess the degree of development of markets for secondary materials, as well as the role for intra and extra EU trade in the context of EU waste management practices. A higher price of plastic scrap is expected to be triggered by larger trade flows and can be determined by larger demand for secondary materials or by larger quality (or both).

The average yearly price of plastic scrap is based on values and quantities from international trade in goods statistics from Eurostat. The average price is calculated by dividing the total value of Extra and Intra-EU waste exports and imports by the corresponding quantities, accounting for exports between EU Member States and countries outside the EU, imports from EU Member States (both from intra-EU and extra-EU countries), while the intra-EU exports are not included to avoid double counting.

In Europe, the average price of plastic scrap reached its highest value in 2022, at 467 Euros/tonne. The lowest value was reached in 2020 (247 Euros/tonne) before increasing in 2021 and 2022. Possible driving forces for the changes in the past few years may be linked to a combination of the consequences of the Chinese ban that started in 2018, the pandemic starting in 2020, the amendments in the Basel Convention in 2020, and a conjectured increase in the quality of traded plastic scrap.

The price of plastic scrap can vary depending on the type of plastic and the market conditions at the time. For example, Polypropylene (PP) is trading at 8.13 cents per pound, while the national average price of Grade A film is now 16.94 cents per pound. In 2017, the average price for PVC guttering, mouldings, and fixings was up to £250 per tonne, while Acrylic PMMA scrap from old shop display stands and office desk covers bought £200-£250 per tonne.

The price of Polypropylene (PP) has risen by 51% in the last month

The price of plastic scrap is linked to the secondary plastics market, with higher prices triggered by larger trade flows, demand for secondary materials, and/or larger quality. The average price of plastic scrap in Europe reached its highest value in 2022, at 467 Euros/tonne, up from 334 Euros/tonne in 2012. The lowest value in recent years was reached in 2020, at 247 Euros/tonne. The driving forces for these changes may be linked to a combination of factors, including the Chinese ban that started in 2018, the pandemic starting in 2020, and amendments to the Basel Convention in 2020.

The price of plastic scrap is calculated by dividing the total value of Extra and Intra-EU waste exports and imports by the corresponding quantities, accounting for exports between EU Member States and countries outside the EU, as well as imports from EU Member States. In 2017, the average price for PVC guttering, mouldings, and fixings was up to £250 per tonne, while acrylic PMMA scrap from old shop display stands and office desk covers bought £200-£250 per tonne.

The average price of PVC guttering, mouldings and fixings in 2017 was up to £250 per tonne

The price of plastic scrap is linked to the secondary plastics market, with higher prices triggered by larger trade flows, demand for secondary materials, and/or quality. In 2017, the average price of PVC guttering, mouldings, and fixings was up to £250 per tonne. This price is significantly lower than the average price of plastic scrap in Europe in 2022, which reached its highest value at 467 Euros/tonne. The price of plastic scrap can vary depending on the type of plastic and the market demand. For example, polypropylene (PP) is trading at 8.13 cents per pound as of December 2023, a significant increase from the previous month's price of 5.38 cents.

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