SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: August 4-8, 2025

August 08, 2025

Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD Stays Above $38.00 on Fed Rate Cut Bets, Tariff Concerns

Silver price (XAG/USD) extends its gains for the second successive session, trading around $38.20 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Friday. The non-interest-bearing Silver attracts buyers amid rising odds of a rate cut by the Federal Reserve (Fed) in September. Markets are pricing in nearly a 93% possibility of a 25 basis point (bps) cut in September, up from 48% a week ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The expectations for Fed rate cut next month, with another possible move in December, are boosted as new applications for unemployment insurance in the United States (US) increased, following the July US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report pointed to a cooling labor market. (Source: FXStreet)

Citi Raises Gold Forecast Back to $3,500/Oz by November on Negative U.S. Outlook, Geopolitical Risk

Banking giant Citi announced on Monday that it has raised its gold price forecast to $3,500 per ounce over the next three months, up from $3,300 in June. “U.S. growth and tariff-related inflation concerns are set to remain elevated during 2H’25, which alongside a weaker dollar, are set to drive gold moderately higher, to new all-time highs,” the bank’s analysts wrote. Citi’s expected trading range for the yellow metal was also raised to $3,300 - $3,600 from $3,100 - $3,500 previously. The updated forecasts follow last week’s announcement of higher-than-expected U.S. import tariffs on many major trading partners, including Canada, India, Brazil, and Taiwan. Citi said their higher gold forecast is also supported by weaker U.S. labor data in Q2 2025, increased concerns around institutional credibility of the Federal Reserve and U.S. statistics, and elevated geopolitical risks related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The bank estimates that gross gold demand has risen over 33% since mid-2022, which drove prices to nearly double by the second quarter of this year. Citi analysts cited strong investment demand, steady central bank buying, and resilient jewelry demand despite the high prices. (Source: KITCO News)

Century Aluminum to Invest $50M in Mt. Holly Smelter Restart in South Carolina

Century Aluminum announced Thursday it plans to restart over 50,000 metric tons of idled production at its Mt. Holly smelter in South Carolina. The company said it will invest approximately $50 million in the effort, creating over 100 new jobs and boosting US domestic aluminum production by almost 10%. The restart will enable the plant, currently operating at 75% capacity, to achieve full production by June 30, 2026, a level not seen since 2015. The restart, it said, comes as a direct result of US President Trump’s application of Section 232 tariffs for primary aluminum, most recently increasing the tariffs to 50% without exceptions or exemptions. At full capacity, Mt. Holly smelter has an economic impact of over $890 million annually in the state of South Carolina, driven in part by the average wage of $100,000 for jobs directly supported by the company, according to a University of South Carolina study released in 2024. (Source: Mining.com)

The U.S. Battery Circular Economy Advances with PNE’s South Carolina Flagship Recycling Facility

Princeton NuEnergy Inc. (PNE) reports that its Advanced Black Mass (ABM™) recycling production facility is fully commissioned and operational. Located in Chester, South Carolina, PNE’s Flagship Recycling Facility is the nation’s first commercial-scale Advanced Black Mass and battery-grade cathode active material production facility (both NCM and LFP chemistries), demonstrating the company’s ability to regenerate and produce critical battery minerals domestically.PNE’s 5,000 tpa Flagship produces a consistent, high-purity ABM™ from manufacturing scrap using a proprietary advanced recycling process. Fully permitted and compliant with all U.S. and state environmental and operational standards, the Chester facility operates under strict SOPs to ensure safety, traceability, and material quality. The operation has achieved a recovery yield exceeding >97%, surpassing industry norms and producing high-value downstream feedstock for battery production. In 2026, the Chester facility’s capacity will expand to 15,000 tpa, with the capability to scale up to 50,000 tpa as market demand grows. (Source: PNE)

Viridor Plans Closure of Plastic Sorting Plant in Rochester

UK-based waste management company Viridor is planning to close its waste plastic sorting facility in Rochester, in southern England. In November, the company had ceased operations at its plastic packaging recycling plant in Avonmouth, Gloucestershire. According to a statement issued by Viridor on 1 August, the Avonmouth facility had been the most important outlet for material from Rochester. The proposed closure of the Rochester plant follows the conclusion of a strategic review. Despite efforts to sell the Rochester facility as a going concern, Viridor said it had not been able to find a buyer. As a result, the company now intends to decommission the facility. The equipment at the plant, which was built in 2014, is to be purchased by the N+P Group. (Source: EUWID)

Techbros Launched Arizona AI-Driven ITAD and 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, ISO 45001. The newly expanded facility features a live customer portal powered by ERP and diagnostic integrations that provide 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: Techbros)

SOLARCYCLE and Arizona State University Achieve Breakthrough in Solar Circularity Using Recycled Glass

SOLARCYCLE announced a breakthrough in solar circularity with the successful development of a proof-of-concept solar panel made with 50% recycled glass from end-of-life solar panels. The demonstration panel, or "mini module", was developed in partnership with Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Led by Zachary Holman, Vice Dean for Research and Innovation, the project tested the performance potential of solar panels constructed with specialized recycled glass. The research demonstrated that panels made with recycled solar glass matched the performance of those made with traditional materials, marking a critical step toward a closed-loop solar manufacturing process. (Source: SOLARCYCLE)

Marula Mining Commits €500,000 to Battery Recycling Project in Kenya

Marula Mining PLC has entered into a collaboration agreement with WEEE Centre Limited to develop a lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Kenya, according to a press release statement issued Monday. The agreement involves an initial €500,000 investment from Marula’s wholly owned subsidiary, Marula Metals Processing Limited, to support the early-stage development of a black mass extraction facility for end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The project aims to recover valuable materials including lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel. WEEE Centre, a Kenyan-based electronic waste management company operating across 18 African countries, will establish and manage a Special Purpose Vehicle to operate the project. The company plans to source lithium-ion batteries from households, solar firms, telecommunication companies, and e-waste aggregators throughout Kenya. The funding will support infrastructure development, pilot project implementation, and technical research. Marula expects to satisfy the initial commitment through a combination of future cash flows from operations and potential financing arrangements. (Source: Investing.com)

Groundbreaking Held for Next-Gen, AI-Powered Recycling Facility in Commerce City

It has been reported that AMP and Waste Connections have broken ground on a first-of-its-kind, AI-driven recycling plant in Commerce City, Colorado. When it opens in 2026, this greenfield facility will be equipped with an AMP ONE™ system, which will deliver high recovery rates, process certain material streams autonomously, and improve its throughput capacity over time with regular software updates. Once operational, the plant will process up to 62,000 tons of single-stream recycling every year with minimal human intervention. Powered by AMP’s AI technology, the system continuously fine-tunes itself, identifying jams, monitoring purity, and adapting to changes on the line without missing a beat. AI integration at the facility level ensures smoother operations and higher recovery rates at scale. (Source: AMP)

US Imposes Tariffs on One-Kilo Gold Bars, FT Reports

The United States has imposed tariffs on imports of one-kilo gold bars, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a letter from Customs Border Protection. The letter - dated July 31 - said one-kilo and 100 ounce gold bars should be classified under a customs code subject to levels, according to the newspaper, which added that the move could impact Switzerland, the world’s largest refining hub. (Source: Reuters)

Kodal Working with Mali Gov’t to Expedite Export Permits for Bougouni Lithium Project

Kodal Minerals is progressing with open pit mining at the Bougouni lithium project in Mali and processing at its Stage 1 dense media separation (DMS) plant despite operational challenges. Bougouni is set to become Mali’s second operational lithium mine, following first spodumene production at the Goulamina project operated by China’s Ganfeng Lithium in December 2024. The Bougouni project is operated by the local Mali-registered mining company, Les Mines de Lithium de Bougouni SA (LMLB), in which Kodal has a 49% stake. In an update Wednesday, the company said the DMS processing plant is continuing to process pegmatite ore, with improvements ongoing. Currently, the spodumene concentrate production available for export exceeds 45,000 tonnes. While open-pit mining is continuing at Ngoualana, access to the lower levels of the pit is restricted due to heavy rainfall typical of the wet season and excess water in the pit, it also warned, noting that the operation is continuing with the removal of free-dig material to final pit boundaries. Mineralized pegmatite ore on the run-of-mine stockpile ensures that the DMS processing plant continues to operate, Kodal said. The LMLB operation team is currently planning a shut down and maintenance period commencing late August to complete a final systematic check of the plant and complete improvements. (Source: Mining.com)

Two Former Ohio E-Waste Recycling Companies Hit With $3M in Civil Penalties for Leaving Behind Hazardous Waste

Two now-defunct electronic waste recycling companies have been ordered to pay $3 million in civil penalties by a Franklin County judge in Ohio. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost says the companies, Closed Loop Refining & Recovery and Closed Loop Glass Solutions, received the penalties after the abandonment of massive quantities of hazardous waste in Columbus. “These companies dumped a toxic mountain of waste and vanished, but the consequences caught up with them,” Yost said. “This is the final chapter in one of the largest hazardous waste cases our office has ever taken on.” (Source: Waste 360)