Italy’s recovered paper market remains in a state of flux. Prices for ordinary grades had embarked on an upward trajectory thanks to good export opportunities in late December and January. Many had expected this trend to be temporary, but it continued into February, with a few insiders forecasting rising prices for March, too.
In contrast, the price of magazines headed lower this month. The market for high recovered paper grades, which are primarily used in the tissue industry, was much quieter, with prices holding steady at January’s level.
The increase in prices on the Italian market for mixed paper and board (1.02), supermarket paper and board (1.04) and old corrugated containers (OCC; 1.05) was driven by a combination of somewhat brisker demand and lower collection volumes. Mixed paper prices experienced somewhat less upward pressure because it is less common to export this grade to Asia.
Insiders told EUWID that less material was available on the whole, and prices for ordinary grades had to be adjusted accordingly. Collection volumes are typically lower in February than during and after the Christmas period, when lots of recovered paper is generated. Waste management companies had less material on hand as a result. At the same time, exports to Asia were continuing, with somewhat stronger demand being reported from Italian paper and cartonboard mills, too.
Read our full monthly report on the market for recovered paper in Italy and access price charts and graphing tools here:
