All signs point upward.Prices and demand continue propelling pro·pel tr.v. pro·pelled, pro·pel·ling, pro·pels To cause to move forward or onward. See Synonyms at push. [Middle English propellen, from Latin plastics markets upward. Several of the post-consumer grades, such as HDPE HDPE abbr. high-density polyethylene (high density polyethylene High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. It takes 1.75 kilograms of petroleum (in terms of energy and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE. ) and PET (polyethylene polyethylene (pŏl'ēĕth`əlēn), widely used plastic. It is a polymer of ethylene, CH2=CH2, having the formula (-CH2-CH2-)n terephthalate Ter`eph´tha`late n. 1. (Chem.) A salt of terephthalic acid. ), are seeing good markets and strong demand. Prices have noticeably firmed up, thanks in part to stronger oil prices, which have helped to boost prices for virgin HDPE and PET. A Southwest-based processor of plastics says his domestic customers continue to be strong buyers, which is keeping material flowing steadily. At the same time, the supply of material also appears to be on an upward swing. The export market continues to be active in a number of plastic grades. However, on the East Coast, domestic consumers are buying enough material that most of it stays within the country, leaving the West Coast as the main source for material moving offshore. In Europe, demand for HDPE also remains strong, though the supply is limited. This is expected to strengthen prices for the material in the foreseeable future. For some consumers of secondary plastics, higher prices are squeezing their margins, which is creating some discomfort as they look to push through price increases for their finished products. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] (Additional news about plastics recycling markets is available online at www.RecyclingToday.com.) |
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