The Plastic Recycling Market in Panama (updated)

Francisco Rivas Ríos.

apronad@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/apronadpanama/

* Charts and graphs in Spanish

We have used statistics from the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama, to 2010. In later develop two important issues: the plastics industry in Panama has increased its activities in the last five years, but rarely used as raw material waste plastic recovered in the country by resorting to imports, which is affecting their profitability as a result of the recent increase in prices on the international market for this material. Meanwhile, the recovery of recyclable plastic waste is done in Panama for export mainly to the People's Republic of China, Costa Rica and the United States, in that order.

1. Plastic industry in Panama.

In the last five years they have settled in Panama companies engaged in the manufacture of plastic products, among which include:

Celloprint, SA: Flexible packaging and bags.

PLASTIGAS, SA: Plastic packaging.

PLASTIGOL, SA: Silverware and plastic hairpins.

POLYENVASES, SA: Plastic Containers in PVC, PET, PP.

NATIONAL PLASTIC INDUSTRY SA: Plastic for sodas and beer, plastic boxes for agricultural use, clothes hangers, disposable plates and cups boxes.

Modern Plastics, SA: Bottles, cans, plastic flatware.

MULTIPACK INDUSTRY LTD.: Plastic products.

UNIPLAS INDUSTRY, LTD.: Plastic products.

POLYMER EXTRUSION, SA: Bags and plastic packaging, stickers, polypropylene bags, ropes and master batch (concentrate coloring pigments guarantee plastic).

GENERAL PLASTIC, SA: Plastic bags.

SELECTED PLASTICS, SA: Packaging polyethylene, polypropylene, printed in bags or rolls.

The plastics industry produces a variety of items for domestic consumption and / or for export to the Central American market, Dominican Republic and Colombia, mainly. For example, plastic sacks and bags (polyethylene) are exported to Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador; bottles and plastic containers to Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Colombia; plastic cups and cutlery to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Honduras. Other products are also well received in these markets are the sheets, film, foil and strip, plastic, scouring pads, packaging for cosmetics, articles for the conveyance or packing, doors, windows and their frames and thresholds plastic racks and plastic molding, among others.    

According to estimates by ProArgentina, which considering the total production of plastic products Panama in thousands of tons, which is the volume of imports added and subsequently exports are subtracted, indicating that the apparent consumption of plastic products is 54.6 (thousands of tons), with a per capita consumption of about 18.2. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Panama, the market is the fastest growing material for PET packaged goods industry. Among the largest suppliers of plastics Panama is the countries of USA, Costa Rica, Colombia, China, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and Guatemala.

However, these companies use sparingly plastic waste. Highlights PLASTIGLAS SA, which began operations in 1976. The company produces a full line of plastic containers, including containers for motor oil, food containers, packaging for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics packaging, packaging for agricultural products and chemicals and containers for cleaning products. The containers are made of different kinds of plastic, polyethylene plastic being more commonly used.

Moreover, recovered plastics are first subjected to cleaning to remove all contaminants. Then, they are sent to the process that melts and turns into granules. Plastiglas uses plastic granules from recycled plastic containers of different colors of your own production line to manufacture containers for motor oil. In another production line, they focus on producing white plastic granules, which used to produce plastic bottles of lighter colors of your plant.

The low utilization of waste plastic, in contrast to recent increases in oil, due to conflicts in the Middle East. Alerts for the increase in the price of raw materials have gone on. Currently (2011) the price of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) is $ 2,200 per ton in June 2010 when it was at $ 1.300.This increase, according to Thomas Heim, manager Plastiglas, is even greater than when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and the price of that product derived from oil was $1.500 per ton.

The Comptroller General of the Republic (CGR) of Panama reports that in 2007, the index of manufacturing of plastic products, containers, boxes, bottles and bags had a fall of 2.2%, however, in 2010 the index ended down 1.4%. Although still red, industrial confident the industry recovery will become increasingly visible, and the Panamanian plastic could keep warm.

"If, for example, in high season before we asked 100 bottles and 50 in low season, all year round now call 100," Him says. They have seen that demand has increased by almost 50%, and this caused by the consumption of bottled water during the last crisis of drinking water (1 million inhabitants of the capital city remained without water service for a month, in late 2010). Plastigas has a monthly production of around 7 million containers, and has among its main customers Coca-Cola.

2. The plastic recycling companies in Panama. 

In the last 5 years there have been at least 15 companies partially or totally dedicated to the recovery of waste plastics for the domestic market, but especially aimed at international market. The most important is Recimetal SA which buys all kinds of recyclable materials, including plastic, with collection centers around the country.

Plastic # 1 - PET (plastic bottles of soda).

Plastic # 2 - HDPE (juice bottles, shampoo).

Plastic # 3 - V (bottles of cooking oil, meat packing).

Plastic # 4 - LDPE (dry cleaning bags, plastic bags from supermarkets).

Plastic # 5 - PP (margarine tubs, yogurt).

Plastic # 6 - PS (plates, cups, cutlery disposable plastic, plastic phone cards).

Plastic # 7 - Others (water bottles, glasses, etc.).

The following are the major companies, with their basic information.

Recimetal Panama, SA

Cl. 27 West and Av. Nacional.

507 + 225-8055 / 507 + 225-3326 / 507 + 225-3028.

Email: recimetal@cwpanama.net

Primary Contact: Rosario Arana.

Website: www.recimetal-sa.com

Collection centers in the interior:

Chiriqui, Santa Clara, Chitre, Chorrillo and Arraijan.

Transportation to and from the Interior: Yes.

Hansel Distribution.

120 Street and Av. José D. Diaz.

Fax: 507 + 277-5037 / 507 + 6673-6043 / 507 + 217-1843.

Email: genaro3053@hotmail.com

Primary Contact: Mr. Genaro Barrera Vence.

Collection centers in the interior: No.

Transportation to and from the Interior: No.

DJ Recycling

Via Tocumen, Local No. 37.

507 + 292-7519 / 507 + 6612-8553.

Email: servdj@hotmail.com , reciclajedj@hotmail.com

Primary Contact: Jannette Del Cid.

Collection centers in the interior: No.

Transportation to and from the Interior: No.

Global Plastic

Cl. 9 La Loma, Pueblo Nuevo.

507 + 261-5611.

Email: globalplastic@cwpanama.net

Primary Contact: Ricciotti Emiliani / Ana Mola.

Recycling Process

Las Mananitas.

507 + 292-8892.

Email: proreciclar@hotmail.com

Primary Contact: William Zuluaga.

Collection centers in the interior of the country No.

Transportation to and from the Interior: Yes.

Panamanian industrial recycling
Calidonia, Central Seventh Avenue,
27 West Street,
Galera # 5.

Sang Wong recycling.
Bethania, Ricardo J. Alfaro Ave.
Patacón Hill Ave., next to the landfill Cerro Patacón.

Recimax
Altos de Curundú, Manuel E. Melo Street, Ancon, # 569B.
232-5290 / 6678-9797.
Email: fduque@recimax.com,

Primary Contact: Fernando E. Duke Cardoze.

3. International exports of plastic waste.

Between 1997 and 2010, Panama exported about 42 million kg. (Net weight) of plastic waste with an FOB value of US $ 7 951,423.00. Although export volume has increased substantially, international prices have experienced cyclical periods of low prices, affecting Panamanian exports in the period 2000 - 2003, and from 2007 - 2010 as shown in Figure # 1.

Source: Prepared Data from: Comptroller General of the Republic, Statistics and Census, "Export Tariff According Description and Country of Destination, 1996-2010".

Then the numerical data, including the FOB value (US $):

According to the magazine PLASTICS (http://www.plastico.com), the international prices of plastic are characterized by short cycle of three years of ups and downs. From 1997 to 1999, an upward trend was experienced; but since 2000 the cycle of low prices start until 2003. From 2004 to 2007 a series of price increases was experienced, then begin a floor that extends to 2010.

However, the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama organizes export statistics plastic material in two types: a) "plastic waste" excluding polymers of ethylene, styrene and vinyl chloride; b) ethylene polymers are accounted for separately.

3.1. Exports of plastic waste with the exception of polymers of ethylene, styrene and vinyl chloride.

Exports go mainly the People's Republic of China, Costa Rica and the United States, as shown in Figure No 2:

In the past two years, exports to Costa Rica were up sharply, which partly offset the decline experienced by the PRC and the United States, as seen in Graph No 3:

3.2. Exports of waste plastics (polymers of ethylene).

Between 1997 and 2010, Panama exported about 5.8 million kg. (Net weight) of waste plastics (polymers acetate) with an FOB value of US $ 1.28 million. About 75% of the exports went to the Dominican Republic. Spain, Chile and Costa Rica, in that order, as shown in Graph No 4. Interestingly, in the period just exports to the Dominican Republic recorded in 2007 and 2008, with negligible FOB value as shown in the Table No.3.

In a later article we will refer the purchase price - sale of plastic waste in Panama.