SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: August 17-21, 2026

August 21, 2026

Gold Heads for Third Straight Weekly Gain

Gold traded above $4,500 an ounce on Friday and was on course for a third consecutive weekly gain, as investors turned to safe-haven metals amid heightened volatility across currency and bond markets, while rising oil prices continued to underscore inflationary risks. The precious metal jumped more than 4% on Wednesday after the US Treasury Department announced plans to at least double its long-term debt buybacks in an effort to contain borrowing costs, driving Treasury yields and the dollar sharply lower. Gold held on to those gains even after Treasury yields reversed Wednesday’s decline amid concerns that the government’s efforts to rein in long-term borrowing costs may provide only a temporary solution. Meanwhile, oil prices extended their advance as the US prepares sweeping new economic sanctions against Iran. Elsewhere, gold remained supported by robust investment demand and continued central bank purchases, particularly from China. (Source: Trading Economics)

Silver Set for Third Straight Weekly Gain

Silver traded above $68 an ounce on Friday and was on course for a third consecutive weekly gain, as investors turned to safe-haven metals amid heightened volatility across currency and bond markets, while rising oil prices continued to underscore inflationary risks. The precious metal jumped more than 5% this week after the US Treasury Department announced plans to at least double its long-term debt buybacks in an effort to contain borrowing costs, driving Treasury yields and the dollar sharply lower. Silver also pushed higher even after Treasury yields reversed Wednesday’s decline amid concerns that the government’s efforts to rein in long-term borrowing costs may provide only a temporary solution. Meanwhile, oil prices extended their advance as the US prepares sweeping new economic sanctions against Iran, with the two sides locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Trading Economics)

Nickel Recovers From Over One-Month Low

Nickel traded around $17,000 per tonne, recovering from an over one-month low as tighter Indonesian supply expectations provided support. Indonesia’s 2026 nickel ore quota remains at 260–270 million tonnes, well below the 379 million tonnes approved for 2025, pointing to tighter supply. Meanwhile, the government has indicated that additional quotas may be granted selectively to smelters facing raw-material shortages, raising the prospect of increased ore availability and limiting gains. At the same time, elevated LME and Chinese inventories continued to weigh on the market, pointing to ample refined nickel availability. Indonesia is also preparing to launch a strategic minerals and commodities exchange in January 2027, potentially including nickel, as Jakarta seeks greater influence over domestic commodity pricing. (Source: Trading Economics)

Indorama Ventures Partners on Circular PET Packaging Project in Thailand

Indorama Ventures has partnered with Suntory Holdings, Suntory PepsiCo Beverage Thailand and Iwatani Corporation to bring commercial-scale circular PET packaging to Thailand. Through Indovida (Thailand), a joint venture between Indorama Ventures and Iwatani, the partners will introduce Flake-to-Preform (FtoP) Direct Recycling Technology, which produces PET preforms directly from recycled PET bottles, eliminating conventional processing steps and improving recycling efficiency. The project will mark the technology’s first commercial deployment in Southeast Asia, with production expected to reach recycled PET preforms equivalent to approximately 400 million PET bottles annually. Operations are scheduled to begin in 2028, with Suntory PepsiCo Beverage Thailand set to become the first customer. The partnership strengthens Indorama Ventures’ downstream packaging and recycled PET capabilities while creating a platform to expand circular packaging solutions across Thailand and potentially other Southeast Asian markets. (Source: Indorama Ventures)

MM to Acquire RDM Arnsberg Recycled Carton Board Mill in Germany

MM Board & Paper (MM) has agreed to acquire the operating business of RDM Arnsberg, a recycled fibre-based carton board mill in Germany, from RDM Group through an asset transaction. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Arnsberg mill has approximately 230,000 tonnes per year of production capacity, with a particular focus on liner products. MM expects the acquisition to complement its existing German manufacturing network and create synergies to support the mill’s turnaround. The deal is expected to improve production flexibility, supply security and the range of products and services available to customers. All Arnsberg employees will transfer to MM. The transaction remains subject to antitrust approvals and is expected to close in Q4 2026. RDM said the sale supports its strategy of focusing on markets with stronger prospects for sustainable growth and value creation. (Source: Yahoo Finance)

BMW Raises End-of-Life Vehicle Material Recovery Rate to 51% in Car2Car Project

BMW Group has demonstrated that materials recovered from end-of-life vehicles can be processed to meet quality requirements for new vehicle production, with a research project increasing the recovery rate for new industrial applications from 6% to 51%. The Car2Car project, conducted with industry and academic partners, tested enhanced dismantling, shredding and sorting processes across five material categories. Steel recovery rose from 1% to 81%, while aluminum increased from 23% to 52% and copper from 48% to 68%. An additional sorting step reduced copper contamination in steel scrap, enabling the recovered material to be used for automotive-grade flat steel. Steel coils produced through the process were tested at BMW’s Leipzig plant and used to manufacture more than 100,000 series parts. BMW said the findings will support its Design for Circularity strategy and future collaboration with recycling partners. The company has also filed a patent application for the steel-sorting process. (Source: BMW Group)

Watercycle Technologies Secures £1M Grant for UK Battery Recycling Project

Watercycle Technologies has secured £1 million in UK government funding for CAMCYCLE, a £2 million project aimed at producing battery materials directly from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. Supported through the DRIVE35 Innovation Fund and led by Watercycle Technologies with CPI, the 12-month project will develop a shorter process for converting recycled battery material into cathode active material (CAM), a key component of EV batteries. CAMCYCLE integrates battery recycling and CAM production into a single process, eliminating at least three conventional processing stages. It will also recover valuable minerals from wastewater and return them to the recycling process. The project addresses the UK’s lack of domestic CAM production, potentially helping retain critical minerals domestically, reduce reliance on overseas processing and strengthen the country’s battery supply chain. (Source: Watercycle Technologies)

Columbus Metal Recycling Acquires Ohio Facility, Expands Processing Capacity

Columbus Metal Recycling has acquired a 10-acre, rail-served recycling facility at 1283 Joyce Ave. in Columbus, Ohio, from SA Recycling, expanding its footprint to four locations in central Ohio. The family-owned recycler plans to return the site to active operation and invest in ferrous and nonferrous processing, automotive recycling, transloading and toll processing. The company will initially relocate its existing ferrous processing operation to the site and add new services. CEO Christopher Weber said the company’s current ferrous operation processes more than 4,000 tons per month on less than one acre. The larger Joyce Avenue site and rail access will provide substantially greater capacity and room for future expansion. The acquisition strengthens Columbus Metal Recycling’s regional operations and creates opportunities for larger-scale processing investments. (Source: Recycling Today)

MiniMines Secures Indian Patent for Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Technology

MiniMines Cleantech Solutions has secured an Indian patent for its Hybrid Hydrometallurgy (HHMR) technology, designed to recover critical minerals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and electronic waste. The patented process combines multiple hydrometallurgical recovery techniques and can process batteries regardless of their chemistry, size or shape. According to the company, it can recover high-purity lithium, cobalt, manganese, aluminum, copper and nickel, along with graphite with purity of up to 99%. The technology has already been deployed at MiniMines’ commercial recycling facility in India. The company said the patent strengthens its efforts to develop domestic critical mineral recovery capabilities as demand for battery materials grows. MiniMines has also received ₹4.3 crore in grants from Oil India Corporation and has collaborated with companies including Maruti Suzuki on end-of-life lithium-ion battery recycling. (Source: SAUR ENERGY)

PepsiCo Reports 18% Recycled Plastic Content, Cuts Virgin Plastic 6% in 2025

PepsiCo reported that it incorporated 18% recycled plastic into its packaging in 2025 while reducing the absolute tonnage of virgin plastic used in primary packaging by 6% year over year. According to its latest ESG Summary, the company used approximately 2 million tonnes of plastic across key packaging markets. PepsiCo also aims to make 94% of its primary and secondary packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by design by 2030. The company highlighted investments in deposit return systems, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks and circular economy infrastructure, while acknowledging continued challenges from gaps in recycling infrastructure. PepsiCo previously reported a 5% reduction in virgin plastic and a 15% increase in recycled plastic content in 2024. The company has since revised its packaging targets, including replacing its former 20% virgin plastic reduction target with an average 2% year-over-year reduction goal. (Source: PepsiCo)

Greenbrier, SSAB and Alter Complete Closed-Loop Steel Railcar Project

The Greenbrier Companies, SSAB Americas and Alter Trading have completed 50 gondola railcars as part of a circular economy collaboration aimed at reducing emissions and increasing steel recycling. The railcars were built using SSAB Zero™ steel, produced from recycled steel with fossil-free electricity and designed for near-zero fossil carbon emissions. Greenbrier also incorporated high-strength steel to reduce railcar weight while maintaining durability and structural integrity, increasing payload capacity and transportation efficiency. The railcars will be delivered to Alter Trading to transport recycled metals, including end-of-life steel, to SSAB’s Iowa steelmaking facility. The scrap will then be melted and converted into new steel products, creating a closed-loop recycling system that reduces reliance on virgin raw materials. The project highlights how recycled steel, lightweight design and supply-chain collaboration can support more circular industrial manufacturing. (Source: PR Newswire)

Ukrainian Scrap Market Calls for Resumption of Scrap Exports

The Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet) has urged the government to lift the zero export quota for ferrous metal waste and scrap, saying domestic market conditions have changed significantly since the restriction was introduced. Ukraine extended the zero quota through the end of 2026 in January, effectively banning scrap exports to ensure supplies for domestic steelmakers during wartime. However, UAVtormet said Ukrainian metallurgists have significantly reduced scrap purchases, with some companies, including Interpipe Dneprovtormet and Metinvest Resource, suspending purchases entirely. The association warned that the resulting surplus is putting pressure on scrap collection companies, reducing collection volumes, threatening jobs and weakening tax revenues and foreign-currency inflows. UAVtormet has called on the Cabinet of Ministers to cancel the zero quota for ferrous scrap under HS code 7204, arguing that preserving the domestic collection infrastructure is essential to meet future steelmaking demand. (Source: SteelOrbis)

TRAC and UT-PRON Partner to Advance End-of-Life Tire Recycling in Nigeria

The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC) and Nigeria’s Used Tyres and Producer Responsibility Organization (UT-PRON) have signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) to support knowledge sharing and capacity building for sustainable end-of-life tire (ELT) management in Nigeria. The partnership follows a Nigeria-Canada ELT Circularity Workshop, where stakeholders discussed producer responsibility, collection networks, recycling infrastructure and end-market development based on Canada’s more than three decades of tire recycling experience. The Nigerian delegation also toured CRM of Canada Processing’s facility in Ontario to examine crumb rubber processing and value-added applications. The collaboration will focus on sharing best practices, strengthening collection and recycling systems, improving regulatory compliance and developing locally appropriate circular-economy solutions. NESREA welcomed the partnership as a potential step toward stronger extended producer responsibility and environmentally sound resource management in Nigeria. (Source: TRAC)