The German PET recycling market lost some momentum in June. Following the sharp price increases seen in April and May, market participants now report that the upward trend has begun to let up. Demand remained reasonably solid, but prices softened and, in some cases, retreated from the highs recorded in the previous month.
Market participants attribute the slowdown primarily to fading price support from the primary PET market. Prices for virgin PET have moved lower again, and imported primary material continues to be available at competitive prices. As a result, the price gap between virgin PET and PET flakes from post-consumer bottles has narrowed, eroding one of the key factors that had underpinned the recycling market in recent months....
