The provisional packaging recycling data for the first quarter of the compliance year has been published on the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD), with an unexpected rise in plastic exports.
The data has yet to be verified, and with a number of reprocessors and exporters still to report, it may contain errors. It does, however, indicate a strong position for recycling across most materials.
Despite fears that China’s new National Sword crackdown would slow the export market, resulting in rising prices of plastic PRNs, the provisional data is strong, with a surprising rise in the amount of plastic exported.
The remainder of the materials remains consistent with 2016 recycling data, suggesting a positive start for 2017.
Chris Taylor, Commercial Manager for Clarity Environmental, said: “The markets have been fairly stable since the turn of the year, and this provisional data shows relatively little to worry about. Although we’ve seen fluctuations in plastic prices as a result of China’s waste crackdown, which raised fears that exports will slow, this provisional data shows that this has been conjecture, and unless we see a dramatic difference when the final data is released in May, we would expect prices to settle a little over the coming weeks.”
He added that the Clarity PRN trading team has had a positive start to the year: “This has been a strong quarter for trading at Clarity. We have seen a 27 per cent growth in tonnages compared to the same quarter last year and our new trading team members, Sam Caplen and Daniel Fullylove, have certainly hit the ground running.”
The Q1 data will be validated by the Environment Agency who will publish the final verified data in mid-May.
Clarity has been buying and selling packaging recovery notes (PRNs) since our business started in 2002. We are now one of the largest and most experienced open market traders of PRNs. To talk to our team about buying or selling any grade of packaging recovery note (PRN), contact us on 0845 129 7177.
