Sloppy Markets

As January is about to end we are seeing a sliver of light through all of the accumulated bales of paper, plastic, etc. that have been in storage because the markets became so sloppy. Naw, not actually sloppy, it became almost non existent, especially for all the recyclers and brokers who took advantage of the export markets premium pricing only to be left out of significant domestic movement because of lack of support for those markets when they were called upon.

Ok, many of us are guilty of seeking out the highest prices, banking the premiums paid and now scurrying to find homes. Homes are starting to open up a bit, but who knows if it’s real, or just a tease. We’ll sure know in the next couple of months.

We need hard and soft covered books for destruction/recycling at our facilities in Tenn. and Wisc. Actually, we are very fortunate and looking for just about any grade of paper, plastic or items that are being liquidated and need recycled instead of land filled.

Back to the Basics

Now that the start of the New Year has come and gone, many of us are wondering what this first quarter will bring related to scrap paper, plastics, metals, aluminum, etc. Will prices continue the free fall? Will demands start to turn providing at least a partial home for so much of these items that are accumulating and most assuredly will begin finding their way back into landfills? Will exporting become a means of marketing once again? Will far too many of us once again chase the inevitable export premium pricing only to potentially have the rug pulled out from under us?

Think about this. Let’s turn these recyclable commodities into something other than what most of us have been doing, recycling back into plastics, paper, metal, etc. GER has always been a leader in making markets for the difficult to market. Now we need to get on the bandwagon and find alternative markets for the common materials and not rely on conventional processes.