Recovered material prices (Table 1) were mixed during the first half of 2013. The so called ‘green fence’ introduced by the Chinese authorities to increase the enforcement of import standards has particularly affected lower grade recovered plastic bottle prices. Mixed polymer and mixed HDPE prices are down 30%-50% since the start of the year. Concern over the impact of the ‘green fence’ may also have been a factor supporting the recent increase in plastic PRN prices. In contrast to plastic, the impact on UK recovered paper prices from the ‘green fence’ has been limited with UK prices broadly stable. Recovered glass container prices have declined slightly since the start of 2013 but remain near historically high levels. Cullet prices have remained high reflecting increased demand for recovered glass in order to meet the 2013 packaging compliance targets. Steel and aluminium can prices both increased during the first half of the year while primary metal prices fell sharply. Higher recovered can prices may reflect packaging compliance concerns.
