IDLE STATE
If economists are correct in citing a stalled U.S. economy, then ferrous scrap pricing once again may have been a leading indicator.
After per ton pricing moved up in the first five months of the year, it has idled around $101 per ton throughout the summer.
Steel melting rates have improved greatly since last year, but the figure is somewhat deceptive as several idled mills were removed from the denominator. Total tonnage produced has been up less than 0.5 percent in some recent weeks compared to a year ago.
Current conditions are tolerable for many scrap processors, and certainly preferable to the $65 to $80 per ton doldrums of much of the past two years. "Pricing is fair right now; it’s pretty equitable," says one Ohio processor of the ferrous market.
Demand from steelmakers in his region also is sufficient. He notes, "Material is not coming in like it used to, and the flow is not coming in as well as we’d expect."
It remains to be seen whether the lack of flow from the industrial side indicates a weak manufacturing sector, and economic indicators are mixed. Automakers claim strong sales numbers, but a slight downturn in new housing starts and reduced consumer spending could affect the appliance and other durable goods sectors that consume finished steel.
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Sponsored Content
SENNEBOGEN 340G telehandler improves the view in Macon County, NC
An elevated cab is one of several features improving operational efficiency at the Macon County Solid Waste Management agency in North Carolina. When it comes to waste management, efficiency, safety and reliability are priorities driving decisions from day one, according to staff members of the Macon County Solid Waste Management Department in western North Carolina. The agency operates a recycling plant in a facility originally designed to bale incoming materials. More recently, the building has undergone significant transformations centered around one machine: a SENNEBOGEN telehandler (telescopic handler).
Get curated news on YOUR industry.
Enter your email to receive our newsletters.

Explore the September 2002 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
Latest from Recycling Today
- Closed Loop Partners adds private equity managing director
- European Commission drafts new rules for chemically recycled content in plastic bottles
- Redwood Materials launches Redwood Energy
- Cirba Solutions announces new human resources executive
- Cascades to close packaging site in Niagara Falls, New York
- The Glass Recycling Foundation awards $137K in grants
- Goodwill Industries of Ontario Great Lakes and Rotogran International announce collaboration
- Textile Recycling Expo USA launches in Charlotte, North Carolina