Recycling Grade Value Calculator

Estimate the market value of recycled plastic based on resin type, contamination level, color, form, and source. Compare against virgin resin pricing.

Inputs

Virgin resin price ($/kg)

Resin code (1-7)

Contamination level (%)

Form (1=pellet, 2=flake, 3=regrind, 4=baled)

Color (1=clear, 2=single, 3=mixed)

Source (1=PIR, 2=PCR)

Batch volume (kg)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Recycled value ($/kg)

$0.56

Total batch value ($)

$564.00

≈ 6 nice dinners out

% of virgin price37.6

Grade (1-4)2

Savings vs virgin ($/kg)$0.94

Contamination penalty0.94

PCR premium ($/kg)$0.00

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Virgin resin price ($/kg), Resin code (1-7), and Contamination level (%).
Set Form (1=pellet, 2=flake, 3=regrind, 4=baled), Color (1=clear, 2=single, 3=mixed), and Source (1=PIR, 2=PCR).
Adjust Batch volume (kg) as needed.
Review Recycled value ($/kg) ($) and Total batch value ($) ($).
Use % of virgin price and Grade (1-4) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Virgin resin price ($/kg)

Virgin resin price ($/kg)	Recycled value ($/kg)	Total batch value ($)
10	$3.76	$3,760.00
35	$13.16	$13,160.00
65	$24.44	$24,440.00
90	$33.84	$33,840.00

What each input means

Virgin resin price ($/kg): Current market price of virgin resin per kilogram.
Resin code (1-7): SPI code: 1=PET, 2=HDPE, 3=PVC, 4=LDPE, 5=PP, 6=PS, 7=Other.
Contamination level (%): Percentage of contaminants (labels, adhesive, other resins).
Form (1=pellet, 2=flake, 3=regrind, 4=baled): Physical form of the recycled material.
Color (1=clear, 2=single, 3=mixed): Color purity of the recycled material.
Source (1=PIR, 2=PCR): 1 = post-industrial regrind, 2 = post-consumer recycled.
Batch volume (kg): Total volume of recycled material in kilograms.

What each result means

Recycled value ($/kg): Estimated market value per kilogram of recycled material.
% of virgin price: Recycled value as a percentage of virgin resin price.
Total batch value ($): Total estimated value of the batch.
Grade (1-4): 1 = Premium, 2 = Standard, 3 = Economy, 4 = Low-grade.
Savings vs virgin ($/kg): Cost savings per kg when using recycled instead of virgin.
Contamination penalty: Multiplier applied due to contamination (1.0 = no penalty).
PCR premium ($/kg): Regulatory-driven premium for post-consumer recycled content.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Virgin resin price ($/kg) = 1.5, Resin code (1-7) = 2, Contamination level (%) = 2, Form (1=pellet, 2=flake, 3=regrind, 4=baled) = 2 = 7 input(s) provided
Calculate Recycled value
Recycled value = baseValuePerKg + pcrPremiumPerKg
0.56 = $0.56
Calculate Total batch value
Total batch value = valuePerKg * volumeKg
564 = $564
Calculate % of virgin price
% of virgin price = (valuePerKg / virginPricePerKg) * 100
37.6 = 37.6
Calculate Grade
2 = 2

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