Export watch

Export watch

By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling

The volume of plastic scrap exported in February, at 372.34 million pounds, was up slightly at 6.4 percent from its January figure. When matched against its February 2011 position, the volume of exports rose 2.5 percent.

The weighted price of recovered plastic exports in February, at 19.70 cents per pound, dropped 6.8 percent from its January standing. When compared to its year-over-year (YOY) standing, however, the price was up by 2.0 percent.

Through February, at 722.17 million pounds, the volume of recovered plastics exported was up 4.5 percent from its 2011 year-to-date (YTD) figure. Too, at 21.37 cents per pound, the average price through February was up 2 percent from its 2011 YTD standing.

As for other exported materials, recovered paper exports, through February, experienced a 6.5 percent YOY increase, to 3.48 million metric tons. At $171 per metric ton, the weighted average price of exported recovered paper in February was down 4.5 percent when compared to its February 2011 mark.

Regarding ferrous scrap, the 3.28 million metric tons exported through February resulted in a 4.7 percent YOY increase. At $464 per metric ton the weighted average price of exported ferrous scrap was down slightly to 0.2 percent.

Lastly, the 735.22 million pounds of aluminum scrap exported through February equated to a 9.5 percent YOY increase. And, at 78 cents per pound, the average price of exported aluminum scrap through February was down 7.1 percent when compared to its February 2011 standing.

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