Plastic Bale Prices
Indicative pricing for baled plastic feedstock across PET, HDPE, PP and mixed rigid streams, published by region with movement, pricing basis and source category.
Last updated: 8 September 2026
PET Clear Bottle Bale
Latest available public observation by market
Prices from different markets may not be directly comparable because specifications, incoterms, freight, duties, quality and reporting periods differ.
WasteBaleAudit displays the latest publicly available observation for each market. Reporting dates differ because recycled-plastics markets do not have one universal live price. Every record retains its original region, currency, unit, grade and commercial basis.
| Region | Country / market | Low | High | Average | Unit | Basis | Weekly | Monthly | Direction | Effective | Observation age | Trade | Price type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | United States · California | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | US cents per pound | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Stable | 17 August 2026 | Recent observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Stable at a low level. Pricing basis: regional curbside bale average; collection and freight basis not fully disclosed. Reported summer 2026 indication for curbside PET bales in California. Freight, deposit-system status and individual bale quality can materially affect realised pricing. Grade: curbside PET. (17 August 2026)
Only markets with a published record are listed. Regions without a verified observation are omitted rather than shown as empty placeholders.
Historical prices
Values shown in US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 2026 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 |
| 17 August 2026 | 6 | 7 | 6.5 |
PET Mixed Bottle Bale
Data not currently available.
PET Thermoform Bale
Data not currently available.
HDPE Natural Bottle Bale
Latest available public observation by market
Prices from different markets may not be directly comparable because specifications, incoterms, freight, duties, quality and reporting periods differ.
WasteBaleAudit displays the latest publicly available observation for each market. Reporting dates differ because recycled-plastics markets do not have one universal live price. Every record retains its original region, currency, unit, grade and commercial basis.
| Region | Country / market | Low | High | Average | Unit | Basis | Weekly | Monthly | Direction | Effective | Observation age | Trade | Price type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | United States | 52.75 | 52.75 | 52.75 | US cents per pound | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Falling | 13 July 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Pricing basis: national curbside post-consumer average. Reported US national average for natural post-consumer HDPE collected through curbside programs. The July observation declined from 57.13 US cents per pound. Grade: natural curbside post-consumer. (13 July 2026)
Only markets with a published record are listed. Regions without a verified observation are omitted rather than shown as empty placeholders.
Historical prices
Values shown in US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 July 2026 | 52.75 | 52.75 | 52.75 |
HDPE Coloured Bottle Bale
Latest available public observation by market
Prices from different markets may not be directly comparable because specifications, incoterms, freight, duties, quality and reporting periods differ.
WasteBaleAudit displays the latest publicly available observation for each market. Reporting dates differ because recycled-plastics markets do not have one universal live price. Every record retains its original region, currency, unit, grade and commercial basis.
| Region | Country / market | Low | High | Average | Unit | Basis | Weekly | Monthly | Direction | Effective | Observation age | Trade | Price type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | United States | 11.06 | 11.06 | 11.06 | US cents per pound | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Falling | 13 July 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Pricing basis: national curbside post-consumer average. Reported US national average for coloured post-consumer HDPE. The July observation declined from 13.13 US cents per pound. Grade: coloured curbside post-consumer. (13 July 2026)
Only markets with a published record are listed. Regions without a verified observation are omitted rather than shown as empty placeholders.
Historical prices
Values shown in US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 July 2026 | 11.06 | 11.06 | 11.06 |
PP Bale
Latest available public observation by market
Prices from different markets may not be directly comparable because specifications, incoterms, freight, duties, quality and reporting periods differ.
WasteBaleAudit displays the latest publicly available observation for each market. Reporting dates differ because recycled-plastics markets do not have one universal live price. Every record retains its original region, currency, unit, grade and commercial basis.
| Region | Country / market | Low | High | Average | Unit | Basis | Weekly | Monthly | Direction | Effective | Observation age | Trade | Price type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | United States | 11.88 | 11.88 | 11.88 | US cents per pound | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Falling | 13 July 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Pricing basis: national curbside post-consumer average. Reported US national average for post-consumer polypropylene. The July observation declined from 14.75 US cents per pound. Grade: post-consumer PP. (13 July 2026)
Only markets with a published record are listed. Regions without a verified observation are omitted rather than shown as empty placeholders.
Historical prices
Values shown in US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 July 2026 | 11.88 | 11.88 | 11.88 |
Mixed Rigid Plastics Bale
Data not currently available.
PET Bottle Bale with Labels
Latest available public observation by market
Prices from different markets may not be directly comparable because specifications, incoterms, freight, duties, quality and reporting periods differ.
WasteBaleAudit displays the latest publicly available observation for each market. Reporting dates differ because recycled-plastics markets do not have one universal live price. Every record retains its original region, currency, unit, grade and commercial basis.
| Region | Country / market | Low | High | Average | Unit | Basis | Weekly | Monthly | Direction | Effective | Observation age | Trade | Price type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Asia | China | 535 | 590 | 562.5 | USD per tonne | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Rising | 3 September 2026 | Recent observation | — | Public-source observation | OPIS public market article |
Market commentary
- Northeast Asia: Basis not disclosed. Publicly reported China PET bale assessment for material with labels. The range increased against the previous reported range of USD 535–580 per tonne as rainfall disrupted bottle collection and transportation. (3 September 2026)
Only markets with a published record are listed. Regions without a verified observation are omitted rather than shown as empty placeholders.
Historical prices
Values shown in USD per tonne.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 2026 | 535 | 590 | 562.5 |
PET Bottle Bale without Labels
Latest available public observation by market
Prices from different markets may not be directly comparable because specifications, incoterms, freight, duties, quality and reporting periods differ.
WasteBaleAudit displays the latest publicly available observation for each market. Reporting dates differ because recycled-plastics markets do not have one universal live price. Every record retains its original region, currency, unit, grade and commercial basis.
| Region | Country / market | Low | High | Average | Unit | Basis | Weekly | Monthly | Direction | Effective | Observation age | Trade | Price type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Asia | China | 660 | 700 | 680 | USD per tonne | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Stable | 3 September 2026 | Recent observation | — | Public-source observation | OPIS public market article |
Market commentary
- Northeast Asia: Basis not disclosed. Publicly reported China PET bale assessment for material without labels. Exact commercial basis and detailed bale specification were not disclosed. (3 September 2026)
Only markets with a published record are listed. Regions without a verified observation are omitted rather than shown as empty placeholders.
Historical prices
Values shown in USD per tonne.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 September 2026 | 660 | 700 | 680 |
Material and specification
- Every bale grade is priced against an agreed specification covering target polymer, contamination limits and prohibited items.
- Mixed rigid bales carry the widest price range because composition varies most.
- Weight, density and moisture affect the delivered value of each load.
Factors affecting the price
- Composition and contamination measured on arrival
- Freight distance and load efficiency
- Downstream flake and pellet prices
- Reject disposal and landfill costs
- Contract terms, volume and payment terms
- Regional collection volumes
Pricing methodology and sources
Every figure on this page comes from the WasteBaleAudit price database. Each record stores its material, grade, format, region, currency, unit, pricing basis, effective date, direction of movement and source category, and is published only after review. Prices are held in the currency and unit in which they were reported and are never silently converted. We do not republish paywalled assessments from licensed price services. Where no verified figure exists for a period, the page shows a gap or "verified price update pending" rather than an estimate.
Read the full methodology and the data sources register.
Prices shown are indicative market observations and may differ according to specification, contamination, volume, location, freight, payment terms and contractual conditions.
Frequently asked questions
- What drives a plastic bale price most?
- Composition. Yield after sorting and washing sets the value a reprocessor can pay, ahead of freight and contract terms.
- Do you publish transaction prices?
- Only where a record is explicitly identified as a completed transaction. Everything else is an indicative market observation with its source category shown.