Recycled Fiber Price Benchmark: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Buyers and sellers of OCC and other recycled fiber products want reliable, actionable data. Our two ResourceWise companies, Fisher International and Forest2Market, have collaborated on a transaction-based recycled fiber price benchmark built specifically to help the industry reduce volatility and uncertainty – Recycled Fiber 360.

Together, we have introduced a transaction-based recycled fiber price benchmark that offers:

• Index breakdowns by region and product—quickly see the exact pricing data you need when you need, delivered or FOB.
• Historical price trends—track and understand market movements over time to correlate price changes with industry events.
• Segmentation of apparent contract vs spot to understand market dynamics and get insight into where the market is headed.
• Compare individual mills within your organization and to other facilities purchasing recovered fiber within the same geographic region.

Because this product is based on actual transactional sales data and does not rely on the interpretation of qualitative research, customers are guaranteed to receive reliable and transparent information on the price movements occurring within the recycled fiber index for any desired region. Through Recycled Fiber 360, these movements will no longer feel unexpected, like many have been so used to, because the numbers actually mirror the movements that clients are seeing in their businesses.

Recycled Fiber Price Benchmark: Frequently Asked Questions

Recycled Fiber 360 is a gamechanger for buyers and sellers of recycled fiber, and many may be curious about the details of it and how it works – which is why we have covered some of the anticipated questions below.

Why are Fisher International and Forest2Market pursuing this? Why now? Over the past year, many customers have expressed their frustration with the current system – they see the index move in ways that do not match what they see in their own businesses; they are concerned that surveys may be biased toward one group and fail to reflect differences in regions, products and quality. At the same time, OCC buyers are alarmed by the lack of transparency and the disconnect between what gets published and what they see on the ground.

What is unique about the Fisher/Forest2Market approach to the problem? We believe that using actual transactions is the only way to create a reliable index that the market can trust. Fisher, and its sister company, Forest2Market, have decades of experience handling data in a secure and confidential manner. By collecting big data sets from the market, the resulting indices are much more reliable. The Recycled Fiber Price Benchmark is unique in the market in two other ways. Transactions are classified as contract or spot to isolate freely negotiated market movement and determine data-driven market momentum. The service also provides benchmarks so participants can understand and track a mill’s position amongst its peers in the region.

Who can receive the price data once it is published? The service is a “give to get” system. Only data contributors can receive all the data that is available through our new service. We do plan on making a simple, high-level, aggregated index available for the market, as we understand that there are some companies that will require access to the data to comply with copyright laws, but who do not buy or sell OCC. This is also necessary for a well-functioning marketplace.

How do subscribers access the data and benchmark? Recycled Fiber 360 is only available via the SilvaStat360 platform, which is a flexible, customizable digital environment that provides on-demand data for participants across the forest value chain. SilvaStat360 is designed to be a convenient, one-stop repository of the datasets that are most important to you, including pricing, macroeconomic, forest inventory and precipitation data. SilvaStat360 features include:

• 24/7/365 access to secure data
• Access to historical trend/time series data
• A single warehouse for all data needs, including Forest2Market’s proprietary pricing datasets and other analytics (Federal Reserve economic data, USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis data and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration precipitation data)
• Instantaneous conversions to other units, grade scales and currencies to enable strategic and tactical decision-making
• Ability to download data (for additional analysis) and presentation-ready graphics (for use in budgets, strategic plans and presentations)

How will I know my data is safe and confidential? We use modern technology and encryption to transfer and store your data. Our robust systems currently process 90 million transactions each year in the wood raw material part of the value chain (timber, logs, chips, and lumber). Many North American packaging pulp mills already use our systems to transmit wood pricing data, from which market indices are created.

Can I see an online demo of the product? Absolutely! One of our experts would love the opportunity to provide you with a personalized demonstration of the new benchmark. Contact us here and a representative will follow up with you. In the meantime, make sure to check out the video highlights of the new product below.

For more detailed information and examples on how to use Recycled Fiber 360, download our product white paper below.