Waste Paper

For waste paper price indicators please use the drop down navigation to the right. The letsrecycle.com guide prices – in £ per tonne – are indicative of prices which may be paid for collection of material (known as ex-works) by Domestic Mills or by Exporters or Overseas Mills. We also indicate (merchant price) what a local waste paper merchant may pay or charities may receive, usually for smaller loads delivered to the merchant. A negative sign means a charge is made (such as for mixed paper or cardboard).
Price indicators are for material ex-works, usually baled or to a mill specification. The guides are compiled by letsrecycle.com, are not guaranteed and readers are advised to do their own research. We welcome feedback, email: news@letsrecycle.com. Indicator prices are copyright.

Waste paper

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UK mills

In the UK the three main types of mills are those producing tissue products, cardboard and newsprint. There are two newsprint mills: Palm Paper in Norfolk and UPM in north Wales. Both use 100% recycled fibre, mainly newspapers and magazines. The cardboard sector includes: DS Smith with mills including Kemsley in Kent; SAICA at Partington; Smurfit Kappa with a plant in Birmingham and in Kent; and northern mills including Sonoco.

Tissue mills use recovered paper and/or virgin pulp to produce tissue. The main source of recycled material for this sector is office waste paper. Mills in this sector include SCA, Kimberly Clark and Disley.

Prices

Waste paper, or paper for recycling, price indicators shown below are for material ex works usually baled or supplied to a mill specification. Prices can vary regionally. Contractual arrangements may differ. Price indicator guides are compiled by letsrecycle.com and are not guaranteed. letsrecycle.com started publishing export prices in 2004. We welcome feedback, email: news@letsrecycle.com.

2020 UK domestic mill £ per tonne ex works	January	February	March	April	May	June
Mixed papers	-5 - 5	-10 - 0	-15 - -3	-5 - 25	10 - 35	5 - 20
Old KLS (cardboard)	10 - 20	15 - 28	15 - 35	35 - 75	60 - 110	45 - 75
News and pams	35 - 55	32 - 42	30 - 40	40 - 65	50 - 65	50 - 60
Over-issue news	60 - 65	45 - 50	40 - 50	50 - 90	70 - 90	70 - 85
Sorted office waste	135 - 140	128 - 134	122 - 128	137 - 162	170 - 190	155 - 175
Multigrade	130 - 137	120 - 130	111 - 115	111 - 150	160 - 180	160 - 175
Light letter	155 - 160	150 - 155	145 - 148	150 - 180	190 - 200	180 - 190
White letter	180 - 190	175 - 185	175 - 185	190 - 225	215 - 225	215 - 225
Note: Low quality MRF mixed may be the lower mixed papers price

2020 UK domestic mill £ per tonne ex works	July	August	September	October	November	December
Mixed papers	5 - 15	5 - 20	13 - 27	-	-	-
Old KLS (cardboard)	40 - 70	50 - 77	60 - 85	-	-	-
News and pams	47 - 57	47 - 60	50 - 63	-	-	-
Over-issue news	70 - 80	67 - 75	72 - 80	-	-	-
Sorted office waste	145 - 165	140 - 155	145 - 155	-	-	-
Multigrade	150 - 165	143 - 158	150 - 160	-	-	-
Light letter	175 - 180	170 - 177	170 - 175	-	-	-
White letter	215 - 225	220 - 230	220 - 230	-	-	-
Note: Low quality MRF mixed may be the lower mixed papers price

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