Waste paper

* FOR our waste paper price indicators, click on the Paper Prices Archive link to the left - or you can also see below for 2012 price indicators *

Waste paper recycling plays an important role within the papermaking sector in the UK. This is because waste paper - or recovered paper as it is better known today - is the main material used to make new paper such as newsprint for newspapers and cardboard for boxes.

Some numbers of importance when looking at the sector concern paper production and the amount of waste used in the UK to make paper and exported for making paper in other countries, such as France, India and China.

In 2009, according to the Swindon-based Confederation of Paper Industries, 8.2 million tonnes of waste paper was collected for recycling. Paper mills in the UK used about 3.8 million tonnes of this waste paper to make new paper (mainly newsprint and cardboard) with the balance of 4.4 million tonnes exported.

Exports

Looking at waste paper markets in more detail, 45% was used in the UK, 34% was exported to China, 7.4% of paper exports were to the European Union, 5.2% went to Indonesia and 4.7% to India.

European is seen as being a global leader in terms of paper recycling. In September 2010 the European Recovered Paper Council reported figures which showed that the recycling rate had reached 72.2% across Europe for paper, above an industry commitment of 66% for 2010. The total amount recycled in European paper mills came to 58 million tonnes.

This 72.2% rate happened at a time of recession and when economies recover, the sector has predicted that the recycling level may fall temporarily because it may not match up to the increase in paper consumtpion. Consequently the 2010 figure is expected to be between 66-70%.

UK mills

In the UK two sectors, cardboard and newsprint, are of particular interest. There are three newsprint mills, Aylesford Newsprint in Kent, Palm Paper in Norfolk and UPM Shotton in north Wales. The cardboard sector has a number of outlets including the St Regis group with a number of mills including Kemsley in Kent, Smurfit Kappa with a plant in Birmingham and in Kent, and northern mills including Sonoco. The UK will also soon be home to a major new cardboard mill operate by Spanish firm SAICA which is to open later in 2011 in Trafford, Manchester.

Tissue mills also use waste or recovered paper although some use higher levels of pulp to produce tissue. The main source of material for this sector is from office waste paper, known as the mid-grades.

2012 UK Domestic Mill prices

UK DOMESTIC MILL PRICES £ per tonne

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Mixed papers 70 - 75 80 - 85 80 - 85 75 - 80 58 - 65
Old kls (cardboard) 81 - 90 90 - 102 82 - 100 77 - 95 70 - 80
News and pams 105 - 110 105 - 115 105 - 115 110 - 115 100 - 110
Over-issue news 105 - 120 105 - 120 110 - 120 115 - 120 105 - 115
Sorted office waste 100 - 110 110 - 118 115 - 122 115 - 120 95 - 105
Coloured best pams 95 - 105 107 - 115 107 - 115 105 - 113 97 - 102
Multigrade 105 - 115 118 - 128 120 - 128 120 - 128 98 - 108
Light letter 125 - 135 125 - 135 130 - 135 130 - 135 115 - 120
White letter 145 - 150 145 - 150 145 - 155 145 - 150 130 - 135
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Mixed papers
Old kls (cardboard)
News and pams
Over-issue news
Sorted office waste
Coloured best pams
Multigrade
Light letter
White letter

UK DOMESTIC MILL PRICES £ per tonne

Prices chart

UK DOMESTIC MILL PRICES £ per tonne

Prices chart

2012 Export prices

Waste paper - or recovered paper as it is also known - moves to UK paper mills or overseas mills via a waste paper merchant or the merchanting arm of a waste management company or via a mill-owned merchant. Additionally, representatives of overseas mills, notably China, also purchase in the UK. The letsrecycle.com guide prices shown here are indicative of prices paid for collection of material by the domestic mills (ex-works) or by exporters and also indicate what a local waste paper merchant might pay . 

Prices are  for material usually baled or supplied to a mill specification. Price guides are compiled by letsrecycle.com and are not guaranteed. letsrecycle.com started publishing export prices in January 2004. We welcome feedback, email: news@letsrecycle.com

2012 Export prices

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Mixed papers 80 - 85 90 - 98 88 - 95 83 - 92 64 - 74
Old kls (cardboard) 105 - 116 110 - 124 106 - 112 95 - 102 82 - 90
News and pams 100 - 110 115 - 120 115 - 120 110 - 120 105 - 110
Multigrade 105 - 115 115 - 130 120 - 127 105 - 112 100 - 108
White letter 155 - 165 160 - 180 170 - 180 165 - 175 150 - 160
Best white 2 240 - 250 235 - 250 240 - 250 235 - 240 210 - 224
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Mixed papers
Old kls (cardboard)
News and pams
Multigrade
White letter
Best white 2

2012 Export prices

Prices chart

2012 Merchant prices

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Mixed papers 0 - 20 0 - 20 0 - 20 0 - 20 0 - 5
Old kls (cardboard) 10 - 35 10 - 35 10 - 32 10 - 30 0 - 15
News and pams 30 - 45 30 - 45 30 - 45 30 - 45 30 - 45
Mixed coloured office waste 20 - 35 20 - 40 20 - 40 30 - 40 15 - 30
White office paper 30 - 55 30 - 55 30 - 55 35 - 55 30 - 45
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Mixed papers
Old kls (cardboard)
News and pams
Mixed coloured office waste
White office paper

Prices chart
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