PET flakes, regranulate and post-consumer bottles all grew more expensive on the German market in March amid good demand. However, market insiders’ reports varied substantially. Recyclers and converters using recycled polymer feedstocks were faced with higher energy costs and freight rates, which they could only pass on in part to their customers. Recyclers expected buyers to be more hesitant in their purchasing in April.
While beverage bottlers in particular were the main drivers of demand in February, purchasing from the film and packaging industries was also felt more strongly in the market in March. This shift was often explained as a response to the sharp increase in the price of primary PET. Demand for coloured flakes has increased, which is the reason why at times, higher price increases could be achieved for coloured material than for clear flakes, according to market insiders....
