The value of recycled newsprint, office paper, cardboard, metals and plastics have all crashed in the Northeast over the last few months, according to David Biddle of the Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council.

Writing in November's Biocycle magazine, Biddle said the value of cardboard dropped from $120 to $30 per ton in just one week, mixed paper dropped from $50 to $5 per ton, newsprint fell from $60 to $5 per ton, light iron dropped 90 percent and plastics have taken a huge hit.

Local recycling programs in Pennsylvania depend on the sale of the materials they collect to make up as much as 10 percent of their operating costs.

The impact of this drop in recycled material value, said Biddle, could mean recyclers and processors will stockpile materials until prices improve, or risk selling materials at an "immense" loss. Thecost of local recycling programs could also increase or some could be eliminated due to dramatic cost increases not covered by the sale of materials.

The plunge in the value of recycled materials comes at a time when the General Assembly and Gov. Rendell diverted $15 million from the Recycling Fund to balance the state budget this year and when DEP wants to significantly expand the kinds of materials local recycling programs collect, imposing more costs on municipalities.

Read a full copy of Biddle's commentary in Biocycle online.

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11/29/2008