Market Report

Boring recovered paper market . . . . .

NL-Tilburg, 17 May 2026

We’re a little later than usual today. No particular reason; we were simply waiting to see if anything worth mentioning would come in at the last minute. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case, so we must once again conclude that virtually nothing is happening in the recovered paper market. The market is waiting for positive developments in exports, but that doesn’t look likely for the time being.

This week, too, mill buyers in Asia kept their powder dry. Or rather, they are continuing to put pressure on prices and few orders are being placed. Simply because local prices for low grades in Europe are more or less comparable to export prices when the disadvantages, which are always present with exports, are taken into account.

There is little to report on middle and high grades either. The coloured letter kind of grades remain under pressure because most tissue manufacturers have high stock levels, are using little recovered paper, or are carrying out machine maintenance. Furthermore, Essity’s conversion in the UK is still not going smoothly. All in all, a dull market, then.

. . . . but shocking market movements in recycled plastic

The situation is quite different when it comes to plastic recycling. There, the export ban on ‘green list’ shipments has disrupted the market to such an extent – despite the loophole provided by the notification option – that we are already seeing sharply negative prices. In other words, nobody is buying.

Where this is heading remains a mystery for now. Of course, we have also seen negative prices in the waste paper market, but back then the solution lay in exports. That would not be an option for recycled plastic. Although.

The ILT, the Dutch environmental agency, has already given us a glimpse of what might lie ahead. The stricter regulations will be circumvented. Exports will continue, but to countries where this is still possible, and then on to export destinations that still wish to buy recycled plastic from the EU. The ILT does not expect more plastic to be recycled within the EU. Well, we say. What on earth are we all doing?   

Price indication

Price indication in Europe for low grades of recovered paper, sorted, baled and ex works are now between € 60 and € 80 per tonne. These prices are depending on quality, available volume, region and loaded weight.

Look here at the Price chart >> 
  
The price chart gives an indication of the price  of mixed paper, separately collected, in the Netherlands free delivered mill over the last 10 years.
Scrolling over the top of the columns gives the exact price indication in Euro's per ton.