SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: August 24-28, 2026

August 28, 2026

Gold Holds Steady as Warsh Remarks in Focus

Gold steadied around $4,600 an ounce on Friday and was set to end the week little changed as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s speech at the annual Jackson Hole symposium later in the global day for clues about the outlook for US interest rates. Markets are currently pricing in around a 65% chance that the Fed will keep rates unchanged at its upcoming policy meeting in September. Still, a hotter-than-expected US inflation reading strengthened expectations for a Fed rate increase before year-end, with the probability of a hike by December remaining above 70%. Meanwhile, gold continued to benefit from the so-called debasement trade, as the US Treasury’s expanded debt buybacks heightened concerns over the risk of a US debt crisis and further dollar weakness. On the geopolitical front, oil prices remained elevated as escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war offset signs of diplomatic progress in the Middle East. (Source: Trading Economics)

Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD Slips Below $69.00 Ahead of Fed Chair Speech

Silver price (XAG/USD) depreciates after registering modest gains in the previous day, trading around $68.80 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Friday. Silver price drops as investors adopt a cautious stance ahead of Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Kevin Warsh’s upcoming speech at the annual Jackson Hole symposium, where markets hope to gain clarity on the future direction of US interest rates. The white metal’s decline comes on the heels of stronger-than-expected US inflation data released earlier this week. The higher inflation figures have reinforced market expectations of another interest rate hike before the end of the year, with the CME FedWatch Tool currently pointing to a 74% probability of a rate increase in December. Conversely, traders anticipate the central bank will stand pat at its immediate September meeting, pricing in a 65% chance that rates will stay put for now. (Source: FXStreet)

Nickel Falls Amid Weak Fundamentals

Nickel traded around $16,800 per tonne in late August, extending losses from the previous session, as continuous refined-nickel inventory surpluses and weak Chinese demand continued to weigh on prices. LME nickel inventories rose 0.8% in August to 268,314 tonnes, while Chinese stainless-steel futures fell below CNY 14,000, pointing to continued weakness in a key end-use sector. Additionally, the Philippines’ new critical-minerals framework aims to accelerate mineral exploration, processing and downstream investment, potentially supporting future nickel supply. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s 2026 nickel ore quota stands at 260–270 million tonnes, well below the 379 million tonnes approved for 2025, pointing to tighter supply, although the possibility of additional quotas for smelters facing raw-material shortages could limit gains. Nickel is on track to fall roughly 2% in August and remains up more than 1% year to date. (Source: Trading Economics)

Cyclic Materials Raises $75M to Scale U.S. Rare Earth Recycling

Cyclic Materials has secured US$75 million in strategic growth financing, bringing its total equity funding to US$237 million, to expand domestic rare earth production and recycling infrastructure in the U.S. Led by existing investor T. Rowe Price, with ERI joining as a new strategic investor, the funding will accelerate development of Cyclic Materials’ Hub-and-Spoke network. The company plans to break ground on an integrated rare earth recycling campus in South Carolina in Q4 2026, complementing its Arizona facility, which is expected to begin operations in Q3. The South Carolina campus will integrate magnet separation, rare earth recovery and refining technologies. The expansion aims to recover rare earths from end-of-life magnets and manufacturing scrap and return them to U.S. supply chains serving AI, semiconductors, robotics, defense and automotive manufacturing. (Source: Cyclic Materials)

Caracal Expands Healthcare Recycling Services with New Charlotte Facility

Caracal Products & Services has opened a new facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, expanding its healthcare recycling services for hospitals and healthcare centers across the region. The facility will handle PPE, cold-chain materials and healthcare waste, including commonly discarded polypropylene and polyethylene from operating rooms. Caracal said the program helps healthcare providers reduce landfill waste, lower disposal costs and meet evolving environmental requirements. At the Charlotte site, recyclable materials will be sorted, processed and baled before being sent to recyclers. Polypropylene will be shredded, melted into pellets and used to manufacture new products. The Charlotte facility joins Caracal’s existing recycling and distribution locations in New York and Baltimore. The company plans to expand its recycling network along the U.S. East Coast as demand for sustainable healthcare waste management grows. (Source: PR Newswire)

Dynamic Expands into Texas with New Waco Facility

Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations has expanded into Texas with a new facility in Waco, strengthening its ability to serve enterprises, data centers and technology partners across the state. Located between the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin markets, the facility provides a strategic Central Texas base and is designed to reduce logistics complexity and improve regional responsiveness. Services include IT asset disposition (ITAD), secure data destruction, reverse logistics, serialized asset tracking, data center transitions, asset value recovery, electronics recycling and environmental reporting. The expansion comes as Texas continues to attract investment in technology and digital infrastructure, driving demand for secure technology lifecycle services. Dynamic said it will continue expanding the Waco facility’s operations and capabilities while building relationships with regional businesses, technology organizations and community partners. (Source: Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations)

US Awards $500m to Seven Critical Minerals and Battery Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $500 million to seven projects focused on domestic critical minerals processing, battery recycling and advanced battery materials, as Washington seeks to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. Lilac Solutions, Jervois and Nth Cycle will each receive $100 million for lithium extraction and refining, cobalt processing, and lithium-ion battery recycling, respectively. Nth Cycle’s project will process black mass and battery manufacturing scrap into high-purity metals and battery-grade materials. Four additional projects will receive $50 million each, covering battery-material recovery, silicon-anode manufacturing, electrolyte production and lithium-metal materials. The funding represents the third grant round under the DOE’s battery materials processing, manufacturing and recycling programs and is intended to expand U.S. domestic capacity for strategically important materials. (Source: Yahoo Finance)

ARA Challenges GM Ban on Recycled OEM ADAS Components

The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) has criticized GM’s updated collision repair position statement, which prohibits the use of recycled OEM parts, including recycled components used in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). ARA argues that properly inspected and calibrated recycled OEM components should be evaluated based on safety, testing and objective performance, rather than their previous vehicle history. The association also said recycled parts provide consumers with more affordable repair options as vehicle repair costs rise and the average age of U.S. vehicles approaches 13 years. ARA is monitoring whether GM’s position will affect consumers’ access to recycled parts and said its advocacy remains focused on maintaining a competitive replacement-parts market. The association has historically opposed legislation requiring the exclusive use of new OEM parts for vehicle repairs. (Source: ARA)

RRD Launches Recyclable Paper Mailer for E-Commerce

RRD has launched its VersaPac™ FastTrack Paper Mailer, a paper-based mailer featuring a recyclable peel-and-seal tear strip designed to replace plastic closures and support curbside recyclability. The non-padded, flat mailer is engineered for high-speed automated fulfillment, with a specialized paper texture for robotic handling and instant-bond adhesive. Its design also minimizes void space and dimensional weight, potentially helping shippers reduce packaging and transportation costs. RRD said the mailer provides an alternative to mixed-material paper-and-bubble packaging, which can be difficult to recycle and may incur higher Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. The company also offers the mailer with liner-free shipping labels and RFID labels to improve supply-chain traceability. Available in three standard sizes, the mailer supports custom sizing and six-color flexographic printing. (Source: RRD)

Mexico’s First Solar Panel Recycling Plant Set for Jalisco

Mexico’s first solar panel recycling plant is being developed in Jalisco, with the facility expected to recover up to 95% of materials from end-of-life photovoltaic panels. Nonprofit organization Rafiqui is building the plant in Ciudad Guzmán. The initial phase will process up to 1,000 tonnes of retired solar panels annually, recovering materials including silicon, aluminum and silver for reuse in other production chains. Jalisco currently has around 1.6 million solar panels, equivalent to approximately 50,000 tonnes of equipment, creating growing demand for end-of-life management. Before recycling, panels will be assessed for potential reuse or donation. The project will also establish collection channels for both small and large volumes of retired panels. Rafiqui is working with municipalities and industrial associations to expand collection infrastructure across Jalisco and other regions of Mexico. (Source: Mexico Business)

EverestLabs Launches Agentic AI Platform to Transform Recycling Facility Operations

EverestLabs has launched Navigator, a multi-agent AI platform designed for material processing, recovery and recycling facilities handling plastics, fiber and metals. The platform combines edge vision models, vision-language models and AI agents to monitor material flows, equipment performance and facility operations in real time. Navigator connects with existing control networks and legacy equipment without costly retrofits or production shutdowns. EverestLabs says the system can increase facility throughput by up to 30%, predict equipment failures, reduce downtime and identify valuable materials being lost to landfill. The platform also tracks material composition, recovery and residue rates to support regulatory audits and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance. The launch builds on EverestLabs’ RecycleOS platform and its AI-powered robotic sorting technology, extending automation from sorting equipment to broader facility operations. (Source: EverestLabs)

U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Collapse as Tariff Dispute Escalates

U.S.-Canada trade talks have collapsed, with Canada set to impose retaliatory tariffs from Sept. 8 after the U.S. introduced additional 50% tariffs on certain Canadian products. The U.S. measures affect about $20 billion in Canadian exports, including cement, dairy products, furniture, clothing and other goods. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would target sectors including steel, dairy, agricultural equipment, and pulp and paper, with further details expected in the coming days. Carney said Canada had been prepared to remove its remaining retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel, aluminum and autos if Washington reduced its own duties, but negotiations failed after what he described as unfavorable last-minute changes to U.S. terms. The escalating trade dispute could increase costs, disrupt cross-border supply chains and add uncertainty for the North American steel, metals and recycling industries. (Source: CNBC)

APR Bharat Campaign Collects 50,000+ PET Bottles for Recycling in India

The Association of PET Recyclers (APR Bharat) says its 15-day “Bottle Ki Recycle Yatra” campaign collected more than 50,000 used PET bottles for recycling and reached nearly 1 million people along India’s Kanwar Yatra route. The campaign used a mobile van and on-ground engagement to promote responsible PET bottle disposal and highlight the value of used bottles as recyclable resources. APR Bharat estimates that around 90% of used PET bottles in India are already recovered and recycled, but says public awareness remains a major challenge. The initiative comes as India seeks to expand domestic recycling and recycled-content use. APR Bharat says the government has mandated 40% recycled inputs in plastic packaging by fiscal 2026–27, although implementation remains limited. The association argues that greater use of recycled PET (rPET) could strengthen resource security and reduce reliance on imported materials. (Source: APR Bharat)