OCC prices have experienced a slight uptick lately, but mixed paper remains at rock-bottom values. Meanwhile, recovered PET and natural HDPE markets are stronger. Over the past months, the national average for corrugated containers (PS 11) has risen a nominal 2 percent to the current $70.63 per ton. In comparison, OCC was trading in the $174-pcr-ton range a year ago. Over the past month, the national average of sorted residential papers (PS 56) remains unchanged at $31 per ton. In August 2017, this grade traded in the $104-per-ton range. Mixed paper (PS 54) remains at an average low of $1.56 per ton, down from $71 per ton one year ago. Meanwhile, the average price of high-grade papers continues to rise. Sorted office paper (PS 37) is trading nationally at $199 per ton, compared with $166 in August 2017. Sorted white ledger (PS-40) has reached $289 per ton nationally, compared with $223 per ton one year ago. On the plastics side, the national average price of post-consumer PET beverage bottles and jars continues on a steady trend, currently at 16.71 cents per pound. This represents an increase of 6 percent over the past year - it traded nationally at 15.72 cents per pound in August 2017. This also represents a 24 percent recovery over the past eight months - the national average price dipped to 13.51 cents per pound in December 2017.
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