SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: August 18-22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Gold Extends Losses

Gold extended its recent losses to around $3,330 per ounce on Friday, holding within a tight range as traders avoided major moves ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s remarks at Jackson Hole, which may offer signals on the US policy outlook. On Thursday, Fed officials gave little indication of support for a rate cut next month, leaving markets focused on Powell’s speech for guidance amid signs of a cooling labor market, while inflation remains above target and vulnerable to tariff-related pressures. Investors still see the possibility of policy easing in September, with markets pricing in a 75% chance of a quarter-point cut. On the geopolitical front, hopes for a potential Russia-Ukraine peace deal dimmed, as reports said Russia launched its largest drone and missile attack on Ukraine in more than a month, and Moscow accused Kyiv of rejecting the prospect of a “lasting and fair settlement.” For the week, gold is poised to end little changed. (Source: Trading Economics)

Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD Slips Toward $38.00 as Fed Rate Cut Odds Ease

Silver price (XAG/USD) edges lower after registering gains in the previous session, trading around $38.10 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Friday. Traders adopt caution ahead of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium in Wyoming, which could offer fresh clues on the September policy outlook. The non-yielding Silver comes under pressure as the potential for higher opportunity costs weighs on sentiment. Strong PMI data alongside an uptick in jobless claims highlight the Fed’s dilemma of managing persistent inflation while confronting a softening labor market. According to the CME FedWatch tool, Fed funds futures traders are now pricing in a 75% chance of a rate reduction in September, down from 82% on Wednesday. (Source: FXStreet)

UBS Lifts 2026 Gold Forecasts on US Macro Risks

Analysts at UBS have lifted their gold price targets for next year in anticipation of higher safe-haven demand from persistent US macroeconomic risks and de-dollarization trends. During the March quarter, the Swiss bank now sees gold averaging $3,600 an ounce — $100 higher than its previous forecast for the period as well as its current forecast for year-end 2025. For June and September 2026, gold prices are expected to rise even further, averaging $3,700 an ounce for both periods. UBS says the revised gold forecasts reflect its expectations of robust demand from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and central banks, coupled with a global shift towards bullion as the preferred reserve asset to the US dollar. (Source: Mining.com)

Iron Ore Falls on Weak Fundamentals

Iron ore futures fell below CNY 770 per tonne on Friday, extending losses for a second straight session as demand concerns coincided with ample supply. Disruptions to steel production tied to China’s upcoming military parade turned out less severe than expected, but long-term consumption from the world’s top buyer remains clouded by a weak property sector, sluggish infrastructure activity, and uncertain manufacturing momentum. Industry data showed portside inventories in China climbed 0.2% from the prior week to 138.5 million tons as of August 21, adding to oversupply worries. On the supply side, shipments from Brazil are projected to rise 4% year-on-year in 2025 thanks to stronger mining activity and infrastructure improvements. Higher volumes to China are expected to replace shipments from Australia, Peru, and India. Meanwhile, Australian exports remain steady but face weather-related risks later in the year, while India has kept export volumes constrained by domestic demand. (Source: Trading Economics)

revomet and CNGR Sign Joint Venture Agreement

revomet GmbH, founded in 2023 as a subsidiary of the international CRONIMET Group, and CNGR Advanced Material Co. Ltd. have officially finalized their joint venture following the Heads of Agreement signed in December 2023. Once all conditions from the joint venture agreement have been met, CNGR will acquire a 25 percent stake in revomet Bitterfeld GmbH, previously a wholly owned subsidiary of revomet GmbH. revomet Bitterfeld GmbH operates one of Europe’s most advanced facilities for recycling of battery scrap from the battery industry in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. From battery waste to raw materials of the future: After extensive negotiations and a shared vision, a strategic intent has now become a flagship project, a milestone for both partners and for Europe’s battery industry. The partnership’s goal is to recover valuable raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and lithium in the highest purity and return them to the production cycle. In doing so, it makes a decisive contribution to closing the loop in the battery value chain and to strengthening Europe’s sustainable raw material supply. (Source: CRONIMET Group)

Closed Loop Partners’ Private Equity Group Acquires Leading Organics Waste Management Platform, Agri-Cycle

Closed Loop Partners announces their acquisition of Agri-Cycle, a premier provider of organics collection for commercial & industrial sectors across the U.S. The acquisition was completed by Closed Loop Private Equity. Since its inception in 2013, Agri-Cycle has expanded significantly, now operating as a leading provider of organics management services in the U.S. Following the acquisition, Agri-Cycle’s management team will partner with Closed Loop Partners to expand the company’s reach and services. With the firm’s deep experience in running circular economy businesses across a range of materials, and extensive ecosystem of the world’s largest corporations, institutional investors and notable family offices, Agri-Cycle has strategic support at a pivotal moment of expansion. This is Closed Loop Private Equity’s most recent platform acquisition, employing a buy-and-build strategy to partner with companies and scale platforms and enabling technologies across plastics & packaging, circular technology, food & agriculture, the built environment, energy efficiency, textiles and healthcare, aiming to develop, accelerate and modernize circular supply chains and recycling & reuse infrastructure. (Source: PR Newswire)

Ace Green Unveils System to Support Antimony Recovery, Lead Battery Recycling

Battery recycling technology company Ace Green Recycling Inc., Houston, has unveiled its proprietary Grid Metallics Processing System (GMPS), which operates at room temperature and offers a new solution for lead battery recyclers. Ace Green says its new GMPS system allows lead battery processors to recover clean alloy metal directly from their battery breaking systems, bypassing the need for a smelting furnace. The company claims this process not only produces high-quality lead alloys more efficiently but also helps recyclers debottleneck their operations, enabling them to process more lead battery scrap without increasing their existing smelting capacity. (Source: Ace Green Recycling)

Glencore Seeks Incentives for $13 Billion Argentina Copper Mining Projects

Glencore Plc has filed applications for two copper projects in Argentina to be included in the country’s investment incentive program, known as Rigi, as reported by Mining.com. The projects, El Pachón in San Juan and Agua Rica in Catamarca, are estimated to require combined investments of over $13 billion. The company aims to secure tax, customs, and currency exchange benefits under the Rigi program. This aligns with Argentina’s broader efforts to attract foreign investment amid economic reforms under President Javier Milei. Glencore CEO Gary Nagle stated that the program has significantly improved Argentina’s investment landscape. El Pachón, with an estimated cost of $9.5 billion, and Agua Rica, at $4 billion, would bring total Rigi applications to 20, representing $33.6 billion in potential investments, according to Economy Minister Luis Caputo. (Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform)

Novelis and DRT Collaborate to Advance Sustainability of Aluminum Beverage Can Ends

Novelis, a leading sustainable aluminum solutions provider and the leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, announced that it has entered into a joint development agreement with DRT Holdings, LLC to accelerate the adoption of high-recycled-content alloys in aluminum beverage can ends. This collaboration aims to improve the manufacturing process for sustainable can ends, ensuring seamless adoption across the global metal packaging industry. Novelis and DRT are both established leaders in the metal packaging sector. Based on a strong track record of investment in innovation and advanced recycling capabilities, Novelis is a world leader in high-recycled-content, low-carbon flat rolled aluminum sheet products. DRT is a leading provider of high-speed manufacturing equipment for beverage can ends, capable of producing up to 3,000 ends per minute. By linking their technical expertise, Novelis and DRT will work together to optimize the design, conversion process and sustainability attributes of beverage can ends made from the same alloy as the can body. This “uni-alloy” design solution enables beverage can-ends to be made from up to 99% recycled content, reducing their carbon footprint by more than half. (Source: Novelis)

Ecobat Announces Sale of Germany & Austria Operations to Clarios

Ecobat, a global leader in battery recycling, announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to sell its battery recycling and specialty lead operations in Germany and Austria to Clarios, a global leader in advanced energy storage solutions. The transaction includes Ecobat’s facilities in Freiberg and Braubach, Germany, as well as the Arnoldstein operation in Austria. The transaction is expected to close by early 2026, pending regulatory approvals. Rothschild & Co is acting as financial advisor and White & Case as legal advisor to Ecobat on the transaction. (Source: Ecobat)

Techbros Electronic Recycling Launches Southwest’s First AI-Integrated E-Waste Facility

Techbros Electronic Recycling has officially launched the Southwest’s first fully AI-integrated, R2v3-certified ITAD and e-waste processing facility, a next-generation operation that fuses sustainability, automation, and military-grade data destruction under one roof. With global e-waste projected to exceed 74 million tons by 2030, Techbros is rising to meet the challenge by leveraging artificial intelligence across all facets of its business, from intelligent logistics planning and real-time inventory workflows to automated device diagnostics, downstream tracking, and marketing optimization. Built to meet the highest industry certifications, including R2v3, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001. The newly expanded facility features a live customer portal powered by ERP and diagnostic integrations, providing clients with real-time visibility, compliance records, and asset tracking. The company is working with a growing network of AI-powered partners to ensure every aspect of its operations drives value and reduces environmental impact. (Source: PR Newswire)

Flash Metals USA Advances Critical Minerals Recovery Plant in Texas

Metallium Limited reported on Monday that its subsidiary Flash Metals USA has made substantial progress on its Technology Campus in Chambers County, Texas – the site of its first commercial Flash Joule Heating metal recovery plant in the US. The method called ‘flash Joule heating,’ which was originally developed to produce graphene from carbon sources like food waste, was adapted in 2021 by researchers at Rice University to recover rhodium, palladium, gold and silver from electronic waste. The company said it is pursuing commercial opportunities across a range of critical metal feedstocks, including antimony, rare earth element (REE) magnets, heavy REE-enriched e-scrap, and selected mining concentrates. (Source: Mining.com)

Department of Commerce Adds 407 Product Categories to Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

The Department of Commerce announced the addition of 407 product categories to the list of “derivative” steel and aluminum products covered by Section 232 sectoral tariffs. As a result, the steel and aluminum content of these products will be subject to a duty rate of 50%. This action covers wind turbines and their parts and components, mobile cranes, bulldozers and other heavy equipment, railcars, furniture, compressors and pumps, and hundreds of other products. This is the latest in a series of historic steps by the Trump Administration to strengthen America’s steel and aluminum industry. Under Commerce’s steel and aluminum product inclusion process, there are three annual windows for the public to submit product inclusion requests. The next window will open in September and will be announced in the Federal Register. A complete list of the 407 product categories added to the steel and aluminum tariffs is available in the annex to a Federal Register notice. (Source: Department of Commerce)

NSW Leads the Way Towards National Solar Panel Reuse and Recycling Scheme

At the meeting of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council in Sydney, NSW presented a paper advocating a national mandated scheme to prevent solar panels ending up in landfill, instead directing them towards remanufacture or recycling. NSW is already developing a mandated stewardship program for batteries. Energy Ministers agreed that NSW will lead preliminary work, together with other jurisdictions, in drawing up a Regulatory Impact Statement. The draft will help the Government evaluate options for a national mandatory product stewardship scheme that could catalyse a national recycling and reuse sector for solar panels and their batteries. The Commonwealth is also supporting low-cost recycling technologies for solar PV through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, to help support the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of industry approaches to solar product stewardship. (Source: NSW Government)

Legislators, Advocates Call on CalRecycle to Hold Polluters Accountable

Lawmakers joined recyclers, businesses, environmental leaders and community advocates at the Capitol to urge Governor Newsom and CalRecycle to implement California’s landmark plastic pollution and producer responsibility law, SB 54 (Allen, 2022), as written, negotiated and enacted on August 19, 2025. This comes as CalRecycle prepares its second attempt at formal rulemaking to implement the law. Passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Newsom in 2022, SB 54 makes producers responsible for reducing plastic in packaging design, investing in effective recycling and composting infrastructure, and paying for the waste generated by their products. The law sets clear education and recycling/composting targets for packaging and foodware, and shifts the costs from the public and local governments to the companies that profit from these products. (Source: California Senate District 38)