I can’t believe its already 2025, but one thing is for sure, I am damn sure ready for it!
I am ready for the new opportunities that a New Year will bring.
I am ready for the new connections that will be made.
I am ready to start back at $0 and see what can be done in a year’s time.
I am ready to see what a new President can do for our country.
I am ready to take the good with the bad and keep on truckin’.
I am ready to see new places that I have never been to.
I am ready for the price of scrap to go UP!!!
I hope everyone is as ready as I am to turn the page on 2024 and attack 2025 with a smile and fist… its F.A.F.O. time.
Hope you’re all doing great! 🌟 This month, we’re diving into the latest trends in the steel and scrap metal industry. Get ready for a wild ride through market ups and downs, each one telling a story of opportunity.
📊 Month-to-Month Analysis 📈
Bull Case 🚀
- 📈 HMS 1&2 (80/20) cfr Turkey: Up from $344.46 to $353.08 /ton (+2.5% decrease).
- 📈 Oil Prices: Up from $67.92 to $73.96 / lb. (+6% increase).
Bear Case 🐻
- 📈 Dow Jones Industrial Average: Up from 44,723 to 42,732 (-4.5% decrease).
- 📉 Pig Iron: Down from $460 to $446.50 / lb. (2.9% decrease).
- 📉 Aluminum: Down from $2,600 to $2,496 / lb. (4% decrease).
Welcome to the new year! Here’s to making 2025 a bigger and better one! Before we get into current aluminum news, let’s take a quick look back at 2024. Last year had its fair share of challenges with ever-escalating scrap spreads and physical scrap tightness. And while all scrap grades saw spreads tighten, the below graphic depicts how the various primary market segments differed from each other. On average, pricing increased ~5% over the previous 12 months but without a doubt, scrap items used as cansheet inputs saw the greatest increases. UBC saw a 25% increase and is rapidly approaching levels at which it’s cheaper for consumers to melt prime and hardeners. With such dramatic swings in pricing and physical tightness, market participants are gravitating toward quarterly deals in 2025 as mills don’t love the spreads they have to pay currently and suppliers have PTSD from what transpired last year. Read More
2024 Scrap Pricing Changes (as a Percent of MWT)
Converter Recycling 2025: Hold. Fold. Sell.
In the iconic words of The Gambler, “You’ve got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” These words ring truer than ever in today’s shifting platinum group metal (PGM) market. After the historic highs of 2021 and 2022, PGM prices have cooled significantly, with the average catalytic converter value dropping by more than half. Prices have held steady throughout 2024 (See charts below). Many recyclers are stockpiling converters in response—an increasingly risky move in light of record-breaking catalytic converter theft. Read More
Idaho Tire Recycling Bill: A Step Towards Sustainability and Economic Growth
Dear Residents of Idaho and Neighbors,
We are excited to announce the introduction of a groundbreaking tire recycling bill aimed at transforming our approach to waste management and promoting a sustainable future for the State of Idaho. This initiative is not only a vital step toward good environmental stewardship, but also a significant opportunity for economic growth.
Why This Bill Matters:
1. Good Environmental Stewardship: Waste tires can pose serious environmental risks, leading to potential fires and pest breeding grounds. This bill will facilitate the remediation of waste tire piles, creating a healthier ecosystem for all Idahoans, and saving in costly pest management, illnesses and potential wildland fires.
2. Creating Economic Opportunities: By providing subvention monies for businesses that process tires into final end products, we are encouraging local investments and job creation. This initiative fosters innovation in recycling technologies, positioning Idaho as a leader in smart recycling and economic practices.
3. Recovering Valuable Resources: Tires contain essential materials such as rubber, steel, and fabric. This bill promotes the recovery of these resources, reducing our reliance on virgin materials and minimizing our environmental footprint.
4. Efficient Waste Management: The funds collected through this program will be specifically allocated for tire remediation, ensuring that our resources are used effectively and not diverted to unrelated expenses.
5. Engaging Our Community: We believe in the power of education and awareness. This initiative will help inform our community about the importance of recycling and responsible waste management, fostering a culture of sustainability and saving needless cleanup costs.
6. Regional Collaboration: The tire recycling bill opens doors for cooperation between Idaho and neighboring states. Together, we can share resources and best practices, leading to a more efficient regional approach to tire waste management.
We invite all residents to support this initiative as we work together towards a cleaner, greener Idaho. Stay tuned for further updates and opportunities to get involved in this important endeavor!
Sincerely,
Craig Hunter
President, Tire Reclaim,
New tire legislation committee member.
America Can Recycle 90% of Wind Turbine Mass, According to New DOE Report | Jan. ‘25 https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/america-can-recycle-90-wind-turbine-mass-according-new-doe-report
Recycled Aluminum Cans Market Size to Approach USD 5.90 Bn by 2034 | Jan. ‘25 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/01/07/3005582/0/en/Recycled-Aluminum-Cans-Market-Size-to-Approach-USD-5-90-Bn-by-2034.html
Reverse vending machines promote recycling at UGA | Jan. ‘25 https://www.redandblack.com/uganews/reverse-vending-machines-promote-recycling-at-uga/article_2cdb0120-cc4b-11ef-a409-03d1ad7f119e.html