How is the price of paper evolving?

According to data from our waste marketplace and material exchange (FEAD, EUWID), we are tracking the following development in purchasing prices of the most common type of sorted paper (a mix of office paper, newspapers, and cardboard):

• March 2025 – €95/t
• April 2025 – €115/t
• May 2025 – €159/t

This represents an increase of more than 67% over the past three months, and we anticipate that prices will continue to rise.

Case study: Paper with zero return?

One of our clients produced up to 60 tonnes of paper waste annually from their operations, which they stored in their own large-capacity container and then handed over free of charge for material recovery.

Situation before the project:

• Container rental and transport costs: €805 per year
• Income from paper: €0
• Result: unnecessarily increased annual costs for the company's waste management

After conducting a waste scan, we:

• Proposed measures to increase the purity of the purchased paper
• Recommended using the client's own baler to reduce volume and optimize transport
• Secured a new buyer with a positive purchase price for compacted clean paper

Thanks to these changes, waste costs turned into a new opportunity: the company no longer pays for the waste — they now profit from it. Additionally, the carbon footprint related to material logistics has been significantly reduced (the material no longer has to go to a transfer station for additional baling, but can go directly to the paper mill for recycling).

And what about your company?

Ask yourself these three questions:

• Do you know the value of individual commodities in your waste?
• Do you know which streams generate costs and which can generate profit?
• Are you handing over valuable materials without compensation?