Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend and Forecast

R-HDPE Regional Price Overview

Get the latest insights on price movement and trend analysis of Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE)) in different regions across the world (Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa).

R-HDPE (Recycled high-density polyethylene) Price Trend for the Q4 of 2024

Asia

During Q4 2024, the recycled high-density polyethylene (r-HDPE) market in Asia exhibited a fluctuating trend, primarily influenced by seasonal slowdowns and supply dynamics. In China, an increase in recycling capacities and improved collection rates led to a surplus of r-HDPE, exerting downward pressure on prices. Additionally, the post-monsoon decline in demand from the packaging and construction industries further contributed to market softness.
 

R-HDPE Price Chart

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The cost-side pressure was limited due to lower crude oil and virgin HDPE prices, reducing the competitiveness of recycled alternatives. However, sustainability initiatives and government regulations promoting recycled plastics provided some support, preventing a significant price decline.

Europe

The European r-HDPE market followed a mixed trend in Q4 2024. Prices remained relatively stable in the early months, supported by limited availability of high-quality recycled feedstock. However, weaker demand from end-use industries, particularly in the packaging and automotive sectors, led to a gradual decline by the end of the quarter. Economic uncertainties and subdued industrial activity kept purchasing sentiments cautious, with buyers focusing on maintaining minimal inventories. While regulatory pressures encouraging recycled content usage provided some price stability, the overall market remained under pressure due to sluggish demand and high inventory levels.

North America

In North America, r-HDPE prices exhibited a slight downward trend in Q4 2024, driven by ample supply and muted demand from key downstream industries such as consumer goods and construction. Increased recycling efforts and higher availability of post-consumer resin (PCR) contributed to supply-side pressure, while procurement activity remained subdued due to economic constraints. Seasonal slowdowns in the construction sector further weakened market fundamentals. However, long-term sustainability goals and rising corporate commitments to circular economy practices prevented a sharper decline. By the end of the quarter, the market showed signs of stabilization, albeit at lower price levels.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, r-HDPE prices are expected to remain largely stable with slight upward potential in the coming months, driven by increasing regulatory support for recycled materials and gradual improvements in industrial demand.
 

Recycled High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend for the Q3 of 2024

Asia

Asian recycled HDPE markets demonstrated a distinct pricing landscape, reflecting broader petrochemical market conditions. South Korea's robust cracker operations indirectly influenced rHDPE pricing dynamics, while the anticipated restart of Vietnam's Longshan Petrochemical facility created underlying supply expectations. Tourism-related packaging sectors in China and Southeast Asia provided modest demand support, though overall market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic.

The region experienced price sensitivity driven by economic uncertainties and seasonal factors, with recycled HDPE pricing closely tracking virgin material cost movements.

Europe

European recycled HDPE markets navigated complex regulatory and economic environments. The market faced potential supply constraints stemming from sanctions on Russian oil suppliers, which complicated regional supply chains. Contract negotiations reflected mixed market sentiments, with pricing influenced by downstream converting sector demands and sustainability requirements. The European Union's increasing emphasis on circular economy principles continued to drive interest in recycled content, providing a structural support mechanism for rHDPE pricing.

North America

The North American recycled HDPE market experienced significant market volatility, directly influenced by the upstream polyethylene and ethylene market dynamics. Supply constraints were particularly pronounced, driven by Hurricane Beryl's impact on production facilities and unplanned outages at major crackers. The market witnessed price fluctuations characterized by tight supply conditions and disrupted production networks. Despite challenges in virgin HDPE markets, recycled HDPE maintained a relatively stable pricing trajectory, with converters increasingly viewing recycled content as a strategic alternative to mitigate upstream cost pressures. The Mont Belvieu logistics situation added complexity to supply chains, creating additional pricing uncertainties.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Recycled HDPE market is expected to maintain a delicate balance between supply constraints and demand sustainability. Key monitoring factors included production capacity normalization, logistics network stability, and the evolving landscape of environmental regulations across different regions.
 

Recycled High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend for the Q2 of 2024

Asia

The Asian recycled HDPE market registered a bullish trend during the early phase of the second quarter but stabilized towards the end of the quarter. The early push to the market was offered by limited production activities in China amid the onset of the May Day holiday season and a slowdown in the manufacturing sector. Additionally, the maintenance shutdown of several production houses, such as Zhongtian Hechuang and Qilu Petrochemical, further constrained the supply chains and widened the supply–demand imbalance of the market.

However, the demand from the downstream industries, such as packaging, remained elevated, supporting the uptrend in the prices of recycled high-density polyethylene. But by the end of the quarter, the purchasing activities slid southwards, resulting in the settlement of the average prices of R-HDPE at approximately 840 USD/MT in June from around 855 USD/MT in April.

Europe

During Q2 2024, the European market for recycled high-density polyethylene experienced notable price increases and supply tightness, driven by strong demand and logistical challenges. The price for recycled high-density polyethylene saw a significant rise, particularly from mid-April to early May, and then the trend stabilized. This surge was fueled by rising demand from packaging, manufacturing, and the pharmaceutical industry, alongside rising freight costs and global trade disruptions.

Despite initial domestic production meeting local needs, the demand surge necessitated increased imports, emphasizing the importance of supply chain efficiency. The end user industries anticipated continued price growth and stabilization, based on addressing supply-side constraints and optimizing logistics, and thus raised their production volumes towards the end of the quarter, favoring the stabilization of the recycled high-density polyethylene price trend.

North America

The US recycled high-density polyethylene market experienced a period of stable pricing followed by a decline by the end of May, reflecting adjustments in demand and economic conditions. Initially, prices remained consistent, but they eventually decreased due to reduced demand and increased inventory levels. Despite firm growth in the manufacturing sector and a surge in export orders, new orders declined for the second consecutive month during May. This cautious approach among manufacturers, including those in the recycled high-density polyethylene sector, was influenced by rising input costs for metals, chemicals, plastics, timber, energy, and labor.

These increased costs were passed on to customers, intensifying inflation in the manufacturing sector. The decline in recycled high-density polyethylene prices was therefore driven by reduced demand from key sectors such as packaging and food processing, compounded by stable supply and lower upstream crude oil rates. The manufacturing sector saw significant employment growth due to increased orders and improved business prospects. However, inflationary pressures persisted across both manufacturing and service sectors.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price of Recycled High Density is expected to remain cautiously optimistic, with business confidence improving from recent lows but still affected by concerns about inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical factors.
 

Recycled High-Density Polyethylene Price Trend for the Q1 of 2024

Stay updated with the latest Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) prices, historical data, and tailored regional analysis
 

Asia

In China, the recycled high-density polyethylene prices remained stable during the Lunar New Year holiday period. Throughout the quarter, the recycled high-density polyethylene showcased robust demand despite holiday-related closures. The stability in China's prices was attributed to subdued demand and increased ocean freight charges, compounded by limited container availability, affecting export operations.

Additionally, the traders also noticed that during the holiday season in the region, the production plants lowered their production capacity by several folds, depleting the inventory levels. The market also noticed that the resumption of market activities after the holiday season was slow as compared to the demand for recycled high-density polyethylene. While the domestic market struggled with maintaining its inventory levels, the overseas exports reduced their Asian shipments amid soaring freight charges and transportation costs during Q1 of 2024.

Europe

In Europe, the plastics recycling sector encountered challenging trading conditions for recycled-content polyethylene during the early months of Q1 of 2024, influenced by ongoing bearish macroeconomic factors. The downstream market also projected a weak demand for recycled high-density polyethylene. However, there's some optimism in the recycled-content high-density polyethylene market, particularly from the packaging-grade material sector.

However, the recycled high-density polyethylene faced pressure from low virgin resin prices, impacting nonpackaging grades. Additionally, the regulatory changes, including the EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation with mandatory recycled content targets set for plastic packaging by 2030, were also looming over the recycled high-density polyethylene price trend.

North America

The first quarter of 2024 continued to project an upward trend in the price trend of recycled high-density polyethylene in North America. Among the downstream industries, the recycled high-density polyethylene beverage bottles and jars witnessed a significant increase in average price compared to the previous quarters.

However, the trading disruption persisted throughout the quarter in the US market, intensified by the low level of water in the Panama Canal, the re-routing of maritime routes, and the escalating cost of transportation, particularly to European and Asian countries. On the other hand, the price surge in recycled high-density polyethylene was supported by the rise in the cost of feedstock materials and the optimistic scenario of domestic downstream industries.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price trend of Recycled High-Density Polyethylene is expected to move northwards with the revamped production volumes in Asian countries and the formulation of government policies supporting the usage of recycled high-density polyethylene.
 

Recycled High-Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend for the October - December of 2023

Asia

The Recycled High Density Polyethylene or R-HDPE market experienced wavering trend during the final quarter of the year 2023. Since R-HDPE is synthesized by recycling the existing High Density Polyethylene plastics that are no longer in use, the supplies are usually the struggling factor in the R-HDPE market dynamics.

The market trend for Recycled High Density Polyethylene were primarily dictated by the demand patterns of the consumer downstream industries. During the said period of Q4’23, the market demands were very regular, although dwindling towards the lower side. Further, the lack of consumer interest was also reflected in the Recycled High-Density Polyethylene market trend in the Asian region.

Europe

The European Recycled High-Density Polyethylene market’s run in the fourth quarter was not much different from the Asian R-HDPE market. The impending holiday season in the latter part of the quarter called for a decline in the industrial demands of packaging plastics, causing the R-HDPE prices to witness fluctuating trend at the lower end of the curve during Q4’23.

North America

The North American Recycled High-Density Polyethylene market readily mimicked the tepidness in the global R-HDPE market. With both domestic and international trades struggling for the region, the prices were observed to be dwelling low during the said duration.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Recycled High-Density Polyethylene price trend are not expected to rebound as the consumption patterns will take time to improve.
 

Recycled High-Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend for the July - September of 2023

Asia

The Recycled-High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) price trend in Asia fluctuated mostly at the lower end of the price curve during the given period of Q3’23. The primary reason behind this sluggishness in R-HDPE market behavior was the dull interest from the end consumers.

Since the pandemic times raised general food awareness in people and promoted the homemade food culture, those habits sustained even after the restrictions were revoked, especially in China, where the impact of the lockdowns was most severe and longest.

This led to a sudden dip in plastic based Recycled-High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) container demands during those times. And even after that, the recovery in consumption has been terribly slow. The supply influx is overpowering the market demands to large extents, and thus, the R-HDPE price graph has been registering low numbers consistently. Overall, bearish market trend were observed.

Europe

The European Recycled-High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) market exhibited similar falling trend to the Asian r-HDPE markets. The market here could not recover from the economic depression that unfolded as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the demands persisted to flutter on the lower side, the Recycled-High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) price graph could not pick up anytime during the third quarter of the year 2023.

North America

The American market trend for Recycled-high Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) were no different from the global trend as the prices were kept on the lower side here too. The widened gap between R-HDPE supply and demand dynamics will take some time to fill up. So, the general market outlook was experienced to be dull here as well.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the Recycled-High Density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) market is not likely to recover anytime soon; the prices are expected to waver in a similar manner in the coming months as well.
 

Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend for the First Half of 2023

Asia

The recycled-HDPE market showcased a mixed trend in the Asia Pacific market in the first two quarters of 2023. The prices initially inclined, given the active hoarding sentiment of buyers due to the approaching holiday season. However, the market sentiments were highly affected by the uncertain costs of crude oil and the weak appetite of the packaging and related downstream industries. The strong supply in the region led to the rise in inventory levels, further depleting the recycled-HDPE price trend.

Europe

The weak demand and problem of oversupply shadowed the recycled-HDPE market in the European region. The decline in the prices was also a direct implication of low consumption from packaging industries, and the reluctance of buyers led to the stockpiling of products in the region, thus negatively impacting the price trend of recycled HDPE.

North America

In the first quarter, the price trend of recycled HDPE inclined as it gained support from the packaging, textile, and pipe industries. The persistence in demand, along with the support from the domestic and international markets with the hike in support from feedstock prices, aided the rising price trend. However, the market turned bearish in the second quarter, given the falling demand from the construction sector. Further, the hiked interest rates and rising speculations of a global recession aggravated the situation.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the price trend for Recycled High-density polyethylene are likely to turn positive in the upcoming months. As the downstream demand rebounds, the improving dynamics will impact the pricing fundamentals.
 

Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend for the Second Half of 2022

Asia Pacific

The price trend for recycled-high density polyethylene (rHDPE) fluctuated throughout the Asia-Pacific region in the given period. In the third quarter, the growth was majorly seen in the Indian region and was attributed to the increase in demand from the downstream plastics, furniture, and stationary manufacturing units. China saw a dip in the prices in the same quarter as the uncertainties in the power supply increased.

The crude oil market was on the negative side too and thus led to a decline in the prices of the product. The fourth quarter was, however, favourable for China as the prices surged. The incline was due to the increased demand from the downstream industry. The production activities were, however, hampered because of the restriction imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Europe

The European market saw a steep decline in prices as the demand for this commodity plunged. As a result, market stockpiles grew relative to the level of product demand. There has been a substantial impact on the buying and selling sentiments by the ongoing economic crises brought on by the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

The packaging sector was much more inclined towards the use of first-hand HDPE over recycled ones, which further contributed to the decline of the rHDPE prices. The third and fourth quarters also saw a lowering in utility costs and logistical difficulties.

North America

The North American market kept on fluctuating in terms of recycled HDPE prices. The prices decreased till October but gained momentum from November onwards. The major cause behind this incline is the increase in demand from the downstream industries and the decrease in the interest of buyers in pure high-density polyethene. The production units also saw a surge as the manufacturers started producing more goods to meet the demand of the market.

Analyst Insight

According to Procurement Resource, the prices of Recycled- High-Density Polyethylene are likely to decrease during the coming month given the low demand and ongoing financial crisis negatively impacting the buyers’ confidence.
 

Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE) Price Trend For the First Half of 2022

Asia

After the Lunar New Year celebrations, the market resumed activity and the demand for recycled HDPE rose consistently. Coupled with the soaring oil and feedstock prices the prices of recycled HDPE soared throughout the Asian arena. The price of recycled HDPE averaged 1326.95 USD/MT in the Indian domestic market. With the re-emergence of covid-19 cases, the government proposed the zero-tolerance ban which further restricted the supply chains which were already congested owing to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The petrochemical industry suffered, and the prices of feedstock HDPE fluctuated. However, the robust demand from the downstream packaging, automobile and textile industries kept the price trend for recycled HDPE afloat in the Asian market. In India, the price of recycled HDPE averaged 104600 INR /MT during the end of the said quarter.

Europe

The price of recycled HDPE kept strong across Europe throughout the said period. The soaring oil prices and high-cost inflation amid the booming demand from the packaging sector caused the prices to rise averaging 2145 USD/MT.

North America

During the first quarter, the price of recycled HDPE did not increase uncontrollably despite the surging feedstock and transportation costs. The market uncertainty and lack of skilled labour kept the prices of recycled HDPE in check. However, the prices began to rise with the rise of demand from the downstream sectors as the upstream costs relaxed slightly. Hence, the supply-demand dynamics caused a healthy rise in the price trend of recycled HDPE averaging 2400 USD/MT.

Procurement Resource provides latest prices of Recycled High-density Polyethylene (R-HDPE). Each price database is tied to a user-friendly graphing tool dating back to 2014, which provides a range of functionalities: configuration of price series over user defined time period; comparison of product movements across countries; customisation of price currencies and unit; extraction of price data as excel files to be used offline.