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: 29 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 | 2.61 | 2.61 | 2.61 | US cents per pound | Collected | — | -0.8% | Stable | 9 September 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Publicly reported US national average for PET beverage bottle bales, September 2026. Commercial basis: picked up at major recycling centres. Reported movement: -0.8% month on month. (9 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 US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2026 | 2.61 | 2.61 | 2.61 |
| 17 August 2026 | 6 | 7 | 6.5 |
| 17 August 2026 | 2 | 3 | 2.5 |
PET Mixed 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Asia | China | 3,650 | 4,050 | 3,850 | CNY per tonne | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Insufficient data | 23 September 2026 | Latest available observation | Domestic | Public-source observation | Chinese recycled-material national reference |
Market commentary
- Northeast Asia: Mixed-colour PET bottles. Domestic national reference; delivery basis undisclosed. Region, contamination, moisture and volume affect transactions. Not directly comparable with USD-denominated OPIS observations. (23 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 CNY per tonne.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 September 2026 | 3,650 | 4,050 | 3,850 |
PET Thermoform Bale
No verified public price observation is currently available for this specific grade. WasteBaleAudit only publishes records where the material, market, effective date and pricing basis can be identified.
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 | 36.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 | US cents per pound | Collected | — | -2% | Falling | 9 September 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Publicly reported US national average for natural HDPE bottle bales, September 2026. Commercial basis: picked up at major recycling centres. Reported movement: -2.0% month on month. (9 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 US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2026 | 36.5 | 36.5 | 36.5 |
| 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 | 8.66 | 8.66 | 8.66 | US cents per pound | Collected | — | 34.5% | Rising | 9 September 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Publicly reported US national average for coloured HDPE bottle bales, September 2026. Commercial basis: picked up at major recycling centres. Reported movement: +34.5% month on month. (9 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 US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2026 | 8.66 | 8.66 | 8.66 |
| 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 | 6.06 | 6.06 | 6.06 | US cents per pound | Collected | — | -6.8% | Falling | 9 September 2026 | Latest available observation | — | Public-source observation | Resource Recycling |
Market commentary
- North America: Publicly reported US national average for post-consumer PP bales, September 2026. Commercial basis: picked up at major recycling centres. Reported movement: -6.8% month on month. (9 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 US cents per pound.
| Effective date | Low | High | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2026 | 6.06 | 6.06 | 6.06 |
| 13 July 2026 | 11.88 | 11.88 | 11.88 |
Mixed Rigid Plastics Bale
No verified public price observation is currently available for this specific grade. WasteBaleAudit only publishes records where the material, market, effective date and pricing basis can be identified.
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 | Latest available 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 | 4,750 | 5,150 | 4,950 | CNY per tonne | Basis not disclosed | — | — | Insufficient data | 23 September 2026 | Latest available observation | Domestic | Public-source observation | Chinese recycled-material national reference |
Market commentary
- Northeast Asia: Clear PET bottles, labels and caps removed, baled. Domestic national reference; delivery basis undisclosed. Region, contamination, moisture and volume affect transactions. Not directly comparable with USD-denominated OPIS observations. (23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 September 2026 | 4,750 | 5,150 | 4,950 |
| 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.
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