A consolidated view of where recycled PET pellet and hot washed flake are trading across Europe, North America, and Asia — with the historical movements that explain how we got here. Updated monthly from public reporting by ICIS, S&P Global, Argus, OPIS, and CCFGroup.
Current prices
Prices last updated: 4 September 2026
Snapshot generated 2026-08-31. All non-USD figures converted at ECB reference rates of 31 August 2026 (EUR/USD 1.09, USD/CNY 7.20).
Region
Hot washed flake — clear, non-food grade
Pellet — food grade
Assessment basis
Source & figure type
30-day
Europe (NWE)
€1,475 / t
€1,940 / t
DDP Northwest Europe, quarterly contract, EUR/t
Public ICIS & Argus reporting — published midpoint
▼
North America (East of Rockies)
$0.54 / lb (~$1,190/t)
$0.80 / lb (~$1,764/t)
FOB reclaimer, spot, USD/lb
Public OPIS / APR reporting — reported trade range midpoint
▼
China (Zhejiang/Fujian)
¥7,700 / t (~$1,069/t)
¥11,050 / t (~$1,536/t)
Ex-works Zhejiang/Fujian, spot, CNY/t
CCFGroup public postings — reported domestic trade
▲
Southeast Asia (FOB)
$1,045 / t
$1,540 / t
FOB Southeast Asia port, spot, USD/t
Public S&P Global (Platts) commentary — calculated reference
▲
Flake figures are clear, non-food-grade hot washed flake; pellet figures are food-contact approved (EFSA or FDA letter of no objection) rPET pellet. Reference midpoints for large-volume material on the delivery basis stated in each row. Spot trades and coloured grades (green, mixed-colour) typically settle €200–400/t below clear. Licensed ICIS, Platts and Argus assessments are not reproduced here — figures are public midpoints, publicly reported trades or BaleScan calculated references derived from them.
PET hot washed flake — 24 months
USD / tonne
Show the data behind this chart
PET hot washed flake — 24 months — historical values in USD / tonne
EU virgin to recycled premium — historical values in EUR / tonne
Month
Flake premium (EUR / tonne)
Pellet premium (EUR / tonne)
Jan 25
280
540
Apr 25
320
600
Jul 25
410
700
Oct 25
480
780
Jan 26
520
830
Apr 26
610
910
Jul 26
615
915
Oct 26
625
925
Jan 27
620
920
Apr 27
610
900
Jul 27
605
890
Oct 27
600
870
Jan 28
590
850
Apr 28
585
845
Jul 28
580
840
Oct 28
570
830
Jan 29
560
820
Apr 29
550
800
The EU recycled premium has set fresh record highs through 2026 as energy costs, Middle East feedstock disruption, and recycled-content mandates have squeezed rPET supply (source: Argus Recycled Polymers, April 2026).
Weekly monitor
Global Recycled Polymer Price Monitor — Week Ending 4 September 2026
Public prices and market summaries checked on 4 September 2026. Only compatible grades, forms and delivery bases are compared. Week-on-week movement compares with the 28 August monitor; licensed assessments and unsupported estimates are excluded.
Zone
Product
Grade, form & basis
Average price
WoW movement
Direction
Notable information
Europe
rPET Food Grade
Food-grade pellet; DDP NWE; published midpoint
€1,940/t
Baseline
—
€465/t above the clear-flake reference
Europe
rPET Non-Food Grade
Clear hot-washed flake; DDP NWE; published midpoint
€1,475/t
Baseline
—
New basis-matched reference
Europe
rHDPE Natural Food Grade
Food-grade pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
Current assessment licensed
Europe
rHDPE Natural Non-Food Grade
Natural pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
Current assessment licensed
Europe
rHDPE Coloured Non-Food Grade
Coloured/grey pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
Current assessment licensed
North America
rPET Food Grade
Food-grade rPET index; form/basis unpublished
US$1,680/t
0.0%
→
Public index unchanged
North America
rPET Non-Food Grade
Clear hot-washed flake; FOB reclaimer spot; range midpoint
54¢/lb / US$1,190/t
Baseline
—
New basis-matched reference
North America
rHDPE Natural Food Grade
Food-grade natural pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
Platts covers the grade, but its current value is licensed
North America
rHDPE Natural Non-Food Grade
Natural bale/pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
Current RecyclingMarkets values are subscriber-only
North America
rHDPE Coloured Non-Food Grade
Coloured bale/pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
Current RecyclingMarkets values are subscriber-only
Northeast Asia
rPET Food Grade
Food-grade rPET index; form/basis unpublished
US$930/t
0.0%
→
Public index unchanged
Asia-Pacific
rPET Non-Food Grade
Clear flake
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
No current public average matching the required specification
Asia-Pacific
rHDPE Natural Food Grade
Food-grade pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
No defensible current public assessment
Asia-Pacific
rHDPE Natural Non-Food Grade
Natural pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
No defensible current public assessment
Asia-Pacific
rHDPE Coloured Non-Food Grade
Coloured pellet
N/A — not publicly available
N/A
—
No defensible current public assessment
Sources: BaleScan public pricing tracker, BusinessAnalytiq rPET index, S&P Global rHDPE methodology, RecyclingMarkets. Indicative market information only — specifications, contract terms, freight, certification and volume materially affect price. Not financial or trading advice.
What's moving the market in 2026
EU regulation. The 25% recycled-content minimum for PET beverage bottles comes from the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (2019/904) and has applied since 2025; the 30% minimum extends to all plastic beverage bottles from 2030. Those targets — not the PPWR — are what lock in demand for food-grade rPET pellet today.
Energy & feedstock. The 2026 Middle East conflict pushed virgin PET feedstock higher and raised wash-plant energy costs, hitting rPET margins harder than virgin (OPIS, March 2026).
Bottle bale tightness. Deposit-return schemes have improved bottle quality but not increased volumes fast enough — bale prices are at multi-year highs across NWE and the US East.
Asia oversupply. Chinese flake capacity additions in Zhejiang and Guangdong have kept Asian prices roughly flat while Europe ran away — widening the arbitrage to ~€500/t.
How flake and pellet prices relate
Food-grade rPET pellet is typically priced at a €450–900/t premium over hot washed flake. The spread covers extrusion, solid-state polycondensation (SSP), EFSA / FDA decontamination, yield loss, and the food-grade certification overhead. When that spread compresses, pelletizers cut run rates; when it widens, flake demand strengthens and bale prices follow within weeks.
From bottle bale to rPET pellet — the cost stack
PET bottle bale (PRF clear): €450–650 / t depending on region and quality.
Wash & sort to hot washed flake: +€350–500 / t (energy, labor, ~30% yield loss).
Extrusion + SSP to food-grade pellet: +€450–800 / t.
Certification, logistics, margin: +€100–250 / t.
That stack is why auditing the inbound bale composition matters: a 10-point swing in bale purity can move the finished pellet cost by €150–250 / t.
Frequently asked questions
What is rPET and how is it priced?
rPET is recycled polyethylene terephthalate, sold either as hot washed flake (the intermediate, from washed bottle bales) or as food-grade pellet (the finished resin, after extrusion and decontamination). Prices are quoted per tonne in Europe and Asia and per pound in North America, and move with bottle bale costs, energy, virgin PET, and brand-owner recycled-content demand.
Why are EU rPET prices so much higher than Asia?
Europe is structurally short. The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive (2019/904) has required 25% recycled content in PET beverage bottles since 2025, rising to 30% for all plastic beverage bottles from 2030, which locks brand owners into rPET demand. Bottle bale supply is tight and energy costs for washing and pelletizing are high. Asia has more flake capacity and lower input costs, so the same material can clear €400–600/t cheaper.
What drives PET hot washed flake prices?
Bottle bale cost is the biggest lever, typically 55–70% of flake cost. After that: wash plant energy and labor, yield loss (typically 25–35% from bale to clean flake), and the bid from downstream pelletizers and fiber spinners competing for the same material.
How does the virgin–recycled spread affect buyers?
When recycled trades at a premium to virgin (the current situation in Europe), brand owners with voluntary recycled-content pledges face real cost pressure, while regulated minimums force them to buy anyway. Argus has tracked the EU food-grade pellet premium widening past €800/t in 2026, the largest gap on record.
Where can I get live rPET prices?
Subscription pricing services include ICIS, S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts), Argus Recycled Polymers, OPIS PetroChem Wire, and CCFGroup for China. The data on this page is synthesized from their public reporting for planning purposes — not a substitute for a paid feed if you're trading.
Sources: ICIS R-PET, S&P Global Commodity Insights, Argus Recycled Polymers (Issue 26-16, April 2026), OPIS PetroChem Wire, CCFGroup, Fibre2Fashion Polyester Value Chain. Figures are reference midpoints for planning, not a tradable quote.