Here are the market prices of various types of commodity plastics PE-LD, PE-HD, PP and PS in Central and Eastern Europe with a delay of 5 weeks. The data was processed by our partner myCEPPI.Are you interested in current prices for commodity plastics? You can order Weekly polymer price reports from our editors.

The polystyrene market, with the exception of EPS, is now driven by shortages. The European supply of GPPS, HIPS and ABS is tight. The price of the latter is racing sharply upwards in the spot markets. But this steep price increase is typical of plastics used in all technical elds (PC, PA, POM, etc.). In addition to demand from the Far East, European demand is also picking up. While traditional trade chains and routes are difficult to operate, in some cases they have been disrupted. As a result, arbitrage opportunities have also narrowed. We also expect tight supply in December and the rst half of January and further rising prices for ABS.

Safety. Safety. Safety. Taking the proper precautions when working with plastic will ensure your safety when doing so. Ventilate the area well and always wear a mask.

In the third week of November, mLLDPE (C6) prices were in the price range of 880-1,160 EUR/t. They did not change compared to last week. This is because they are used in relatively small quantities by converters and have relatively large stocks. Not a typical spot market product. Availability is good.

Pro-tip: start by mastering one machine and/or technique. It's easy to get excited and want to start with everything, but it's hard to get great at it - focus on one, master it and move on to the next. This is the same for plastic, choose one type and focus on it. Reduce the amount of variables in the beginning and you will thank yourself later!

It's worth noting that there are many ways of exploring moulds and new methods, using for example wood, plastic, 3d printed and aluminum casted moulds. We advise to spend some time thinking, designing and making an accurate mould so you can create better products. It will pay off in the long run!

In the third week of November, LDPE prices ranged from 940 to 1,030 EUR/t. The Serbian and Belarusian LDPE producers also raised their prices signicantly. There is clearly a shortage in the market. Few transactions took place, partly due to availability and partly due to high prices. Most converters had already procured the feedstock needed for November earlier this month. We expect rising prices in December (compared to early November). However, continuing sharp rise in prices over the last 2 weeks is unlikely. The change in prices will slightly exceed the increase in monomer prices. Supply will remain tight in both December and the rst half of January.

The information we collect in the process forms the basis of our weekly price report and market analysis; it feeds into our plastics industry company database; and it serves as the starting point for our multi-level consulting services for companies that need help sizing up, entering or navigating a specific market.

This might seem obvious for some but worth repeating. Plastic should never be burned, at home or while working with Precious Plastic. There is a huge difference in melting plastic, and burning it - fumes from burning plastic are highly toxic and can cause serious health issues to humans. For the recycling process it is also extremely bad practice to burn plastic as the resulting products will be damaged or lower quality. All plastics have a melting zone ☝️, which is a temperature window between which they melt (eg. 130 to 171 °C), beyond those temperatures plastic will begin to burn. Try to avoid that at all times.

Each month, we conduct hundreds of interviews and telephone calls with industry players – plastics converters, traders, resin manufacturers – and we are also present at the biggest regional plastics trade fairs and conferences.

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There are many to choose from and each have their own properties. Some are easier to work with, amongst other things, they have a longer melting zone, and some might just be more available in your local area more than others. If possible, we suggest you start with PP, HDPE, PS since they are much easier to work with and will make your life a lot easier.

We believe that plastic should not be seen as disposable or cheap. We strive to make plastic valuable and to create objects that are long-lasting and that people will cherish. We hope that designers, engineers, entrepreneurs and people in the community will see plastic as a valuable material to create and purchase beautiful, useful items. Put effort into your products so people will buy them because they want to, not because it’s cheap, and we’ll all achieve something great: the plastic won’t end up in the environment.

Are you interested to connect with the Precious Plastic community? Perhaps you want to learn more or share your own knowledge. Well you're in luck! We have created a Questions section for the community to collaborate. Now if you want to chat with people locally and globally, check out the Discord

In the third week of November HDPE prices were in a range of 860-1,000 €/t in Central Europe. What happened was already visible last week. Both the bottom and top of the price band rose after the Serbian polymer producer also raised prices earlier this week. Availability is poor here as well, and there is even a shortage of lm grades in the Baltics. Demand was not strong either, there were few transactions. Typical transaction prices ranged from 830 to 920 EUR/t last week. In December, prices are expected to rise compared to early November prices. it is likely that the current price level will continue to roll into November. In detail

Here are the market prices of various types of commodity plastics PE-LD, PE-HD, PP and PS in Central and Eastern Europe with a delay of 5 weeks. The data was processed by our partner myCEPPI.Are you interested in current prices for commodity plastics? You can order Weekly polymer price reports from our editors.

So we’ve learnt about plastic, how to collect it and how to build the machines. Now let’s dive into creating valuable products from waste! Like with any other material, working with plastic takes time and dedication to master the craft. Don't be hasty. First experiments will fail, it's ok! Keep on trying. You'll get there!

Made a cool product? Figured out how to streamline your production? Had a great mould made? Our global community (you!) is the backbone of Precious Plastic and together we are finding new solutions every day to tackle the plastic problem. Don’t forget to publish a How-To, or post in the community Discord. Help fuel the project forward!.

In the third week of November the natural ABS price range was 1,560-1,800 EUR/t. Prices are rising sharply. Price increases are not only a Central European phenomenon but also a world phenomenon. Which now affects all plastics used in engineering, from polycarbonate to polyamide. There was a converter that received a modied, raised price from its supplier three times from the quote at the beginning of the month to the order. As availability has narrowed dramatically and no change is expected in December, it is likely that even in January, the market will be characterized by extremely tight availability and high prices. It could even happen that the price of ABS will again exceed 2,000 EUR/t at the end of the year in the event that the prices of both SM and butadiene rise signicantly.

In the third week of November, typical PPH Raffia prices ranged from 880 to 1,020 €/t, depending on the producer and grade. The price increase continued. The lowest prices were in the SCE region, where weak demand did not support price increases. However, in the MCE and NCE region, PP producers and traders made small price increases. There is availability, demand is weakening. December prices will move along with monomer prices.

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In the early days of your journey into plastic you should get a feeling of how it melts, how it cools, when it burns and why or how to polish and finish it to make great products. Besides getting experience with plastic it is also important to develop some degree of expertise on different materials and how they work with plastic. This is particularly important when you will try to make new moulds on your own. Knowing what material conducts heat most efficiently, which one releases plastic easily and other key material insights will be crucial to your success.

In the third week of November the prices of PPH IM non-special grades with low and medium ow melt index were in a range of 870-950 €/t last week in Central Europe. They increased slightly compared to the previous week. The prices of products with a high ow index were in a range of 900-990 €/t. The cheapest prices were measured last week in the SCE region. Demand is weaker than usual in November. This is due to the fact that there are fewer Christmas pre-orders and even in many cases they have been completely missed in the SCE region. Due to weaker-than-expected demand and rising feedstock prices, quite a few smaller converters plan to have a longer Christmas shutdown this year. They are waiting for what January will bring. As a result, only a small price increase in December, not exceeding the change in the price of propylene monomer, is likely in December.

In the third week of November, HDPE (100) prices ranged from 990 to 1,060 EUR/t. Due to the end of the pipe season, demand is steadily weakening. In December, prices will rise due to the expected monomer price increase. In the third week of August, the range of LLDPE C4 prices was 860-1,000 €/t. Prices have risen slightly, mainly due to a contraction in supply due to the shutdown in Porvoo. Second, prices followed the generally rising trend of PE prices. However, unlike other polyethylene grades, there is availability, although supply is limited.

myCEPPI – a new voice and new approach on the plastics industry consulting and business intelligence market. With our expert advice, you can get a detailed, up-to-date and tailor-made picture of the Central and Eastern European plastics market and its main trends, data, news and key players.

Moulds are an integral part of the Precious Plastic ecosystem and could almost be considered a world on its own, they give shape to the molten plastic and create the final product. Entire teams of designers and engineers all around the world dedicate their lives to mould development to make most of the stuff around us - your phone case, your outdoor chair, your plant pot. Moulds shape our modern society, and they will shape the amazing products that you create! Moulds can be made using different materials but we generally advise you to work with metal for its durability and better capacity to conduct heat - it’s more energy efficient. Metal can be shaped in a number of ways, which one you will use depends on what kind of object you intend to make and what technologies you can access.

We’ve been busy designing the tools, resources and framework you need to run a Precious Plastic recycling workspace, and now you have all of the knowledge, it’s up to you to make it work in your local community and take it to the next level. Whether you want to create products, make moulds, hack the machines, collaborate with other designers/engineers, experiment, teach others, host collection parties, whichever you choose, make sure to keep the Precious Plastic spirit with you: be open, be collaborative.

EPS prices were in a range of 1,010-1,090 €/t last week. The insulation material season is over. Demand is low. There was just a low number of transactions last week. In December, prices are likely to follow the price change in SM.

When recycling plastic, it’s imperative to know the melting temperature that’s needed to melt and not burn. It will mostly depend on two different things: the plastic type, and the room temperature of your workspace (eg. if it is windy the heat will disperse faster). We’ve made this diagram that you can use as a resource to reference the different melting states of each plastic, but one thing to note is that plastic is often mixed with additives, pigments and fillers that transform its chemical and physical composition affecting the final melting temperature. Don’t be surprised if sometimes the recommended melting temperature does not achieve the desired molten state, try to gradually adjust your temperature up or down until you achieve the desired melt.

PPR prices for the third week in November were in a range of 990-1,090 EUR/t last week. They did not change compared to last week. Demand is weaker than usual, the pipe season is over, and there is also less PPR in the IM area.

Pro-tip: learn about the different mould techniques available so you can best design to the strengths of each method. You could use a more hands-on approach and create new moulds using a welding machine (which is a bit more rough), or a milling machine or a lathe. Or you could create a CAD file and use more advanced (and expensive) technologies like CNC milling which is very precise.

As a result of the expected weak demand in December, polymer producers will be forced to curb price increases or even reduce their prices compared to the current price level. Compared to early November, LDPE prices are now € 50-70 higher. This is due to poor availability, not strong demand. Although LDPE converters, mainly packaging manufacturers, reported a good order backlog, it was weaker than usual in November. The epidemic is also having an impact on orders, with less than the usual Christmas pre-orders for packaging materials. Converters' customers do not dare to stock up or take risks either. For the time being, the change in oil and naphtha prices compared to a month ago does not predict a more serious monomer price increase, the most likely price increase of 10-30 €/t is ethylene (C2) and propylene (C3). Thus, a signicant LDPE price increase of more than € 30-50 at the end of the year (December) would be a very unfriendly move towards plastics converters. Most polymer manufacturers are thinking of increasing prices compared to early November. However, nding the optimum rate of increase now requires great care. Due to the epidemic, converters and traders are also more careful with stockpiling. No big advance purchases are expected in December. Even if tight availability persists until the end of the year, and probably in the rst half of January. If polymer producers come out with too high prices in December, they will further reduce demand. There will be no time for correction. Converters place orders in the rst 2 weeks of December, followed only by logistics. Converters are likely to grant year-end holidays sooner, so the Christmas break will in many cases begin as early as December 14th.

Go through the previous modules - having the knowledge about plastic types and their properties, melting temperatures, the machines and how they behave, and how to not break them. The more prepared you are the less mistakes you’ll make (trust us, there’ll be plenty of those!)

In the third week of November, GPPS prices were in a range of 950 - 1,100 EUR/t. The cheapest prices were still measured in Poland The cheapest products came from import sources outside Europe. The availability of European-made materials is poor. Especially those used in the technical eld. The recovery in demand in the Far East is coupled with poor European availability. Further price increases are likely in December. HIPS prices were in a range of 1,000-1,200 €/t. The supply of European types is limited, but there are few imports from outside Europe. However, the impact of the epidemic is also being felt among nished products, with fewer year-end orders. Converters expect a weaker-than-usual December.

In the case of PP, the availability is good. Availability issues are only with the usual, inexpensive PPC with high melt ow index. That is, it is no longer available cheaply, under 950 €/t. The prices of almost all PP grades have risen over the past week, with the rise in polyethylene prices also dragging polypropylene grades. Meanwhile, PPH prices in the SCE region are more unchanged, and even very cheap offers have appeared in Northern Macedonia for Raffia grades. This, in turn, suggests that the rising price trend will not be sustainable in December.

Unexpected turbulence has developed around polyethylene grades in recent weeks. The shutdown of SABIC's Wilton plant was theoretically offset by the restart of LyondellBasell's plant in Aubette. However, a consistently more expensive product cannot replace the lost cheaper one in Central Europe. The situation was further aggravated by the low availability of LDPE in Serbia, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. The shutdown of Borealis' Finnish plant only exacerbated the situation. Thus, last week - in the second half of November - LDPE prices increased signicantly by 40-70 €/t in Central Europe. Producers (Belarus and Serbia) who offered their products at the lowest prices so far have raised the most. Overall LDPE demand is not strong. There is no panic in the market. Companies do not buy at these increased prices. Most are condent that uncertainty over the short month in December and the covid epidemic will also dampen demand. Demand is also reduced by the fact that at this increased price level, it is no longer worthwhile for contracted customers to maximize their bonuses either. Now plastics converters are buying who procure on a spot basis or postpone their purchases until the second half of the month. They are now forced to buy at increased prices to cover their production. Not only did the price of rst-class LDPE materials rise, but so did the prices of “near to prime” and “off-grade” materials. In the case of HDPE, there were also producers who increased their prices to a lesser extent.

In the third week of November typical PPC prices were in a range of 950-1,070 €/t in Central-Europe. The typical transaction price range was 970-1,050 €/t. Availability of grades with high melt ow index in spot markets is poor, however, there are no serious supply problems. In December, prices will follow the propylene monomer.

Pro-tip: the more accurate you make your mould, the more accurate the output. Spend time thinking about how you’ll make the best mould available to your budget and tools available