U.S. Mill Demand for Recovered Paper Remains High

Recyclers across the U.S. have noticed an uptick in demand for recovered paper.

“Everyone is begging for more cardboard and mixed paper,” says a material recovery facility (MRF) operator based in the South. “It seems like mill inventories are low, and they are crying that they need this material. It’s why we saw an increase in prices month over month.”

The MRF operator adds that the demand for sorted office paper (SOP) is a little soft compared with the demand for old corrugated containers (OCC) and mixed paper. He says, “Mills will take as much OCC and mixed as we can produce. Everyone is reaching out, trying to get paper where they can get it, and that’s why we’re seeing prices increase.”  

He continues, “I think we’ll see prices jump again in July. And I don’t expect this will level out in one month. This is great, by the way. The prices increasing and demand increases are a good thing for us.”  

Dan Kurtz, director of recycling for Waste Connections, in The Woodlands, Texas, says additional recovered paper consumption by Green Bay Packaging, ND Paper, and Pratt has helped increase demand for those commodities in the Midwest in recent years.  

Major fires at Friedman Recycling in Phoenix on the West Coast and at a Waste Connections MRF in Plainfield, Illinois, in the Midwest might have taken some tons out of the market in recent weeks.