SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: December 15-19, 2025

December 19, 2025

Silver Hovers Near Record Highs

Silver strengthened above $65.5 per ounce on Friday, hovering near record levels, supported by the ongoing debasement trade and strong underlying fundamentals. The metal is on track for a fourth consecutive weekly gain and is up more than 120% year-to-date. Investor demand for silver and other precious metals has surged this year as falling interest rates, rising fiscal concerns and broader economic uncertainty drove a search for safe havens and higher-return assets. This trend has been reflected in record inflows from both institutional and retail investors into silver exchange-traded funds. Additional support has come from robust industrial demand, particularly from the rapidly expanding solar, electric vehicle and data center sectors. On the supply side, silver has faced a squeeze in the London market this year, with tight conditions expected to persist through 2026. (Source: Trading Economics)

World Bank Predicts Steady 2026 Metals Pricing

The World Bank predicts a mixed but generally firm metals market for 2026, expecting steady to rising prices for key base metals like copper, aluminum, nickel, and tin due to tightening supply meeting moderate demand, with these materials crucial for green tech. While overall commodity prices might dip slightly with global growth, metals like copper and tin are set for record highs, while iron ore faces declines, with the World Bank’s base metals index forecast to strengthen in 2026-27 after strong 2025 gains. (Source: World Bank Blogs)

Iron Ore Set for Weekly Gain on Bets of China Holiday Restocking

Iron ore futures prices traded in a tight range on Friday, but were set to end the week higher, supported by the expectation that steelmakers in top consumer China will accelerate feedstock restocking ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in February. The most-traded iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) closed daytime trade up 0.52% at 780 yuan ($110.79) a metric ton, posting a weekly increase of 2.6% - its biggest weekly gain since late October. The benchmark January iron ore (SZZFF6) on the Singapore Exchange was 0.17% lower at $104.7 a ton, as of 0701 GMT, but poised for a weekly rise of 2.7%. It touched its highest since November 27 at $105 earlier in the session. Steel mills are expected to ramp up buying of spot cargoes in the coming weeks to replenish volumes to meet consumption needs during the Lunar New Year holiday over February 15-23. (Source: Reuters)

Gold on Track for Weekly Rise

Gold traded around $4,320 per ounce on Friday, near its October record high and on track for a second weekly gain, as softer-than-expected US inflation strengthened expectations of further interest-rate cuts. November inflation slowed to 2.7%, below forecasts of 3.1%, with core CPI at 2.6%, its slowest pace since March 2021. This reinforced expectations that price pressures are easing and strengthened the case for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. However, the data was limited by the federal shutdown, which disrupted the BLS’s collection of October prices and month-over-month analysis. Markets currently assign about a 25% chance of a rate cut in January, with near certainty by April. Geopolitical tensions have also supported the metal, with the US halting sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments following a tanker seizure and President Putin reaffirming territorial claims in Ukraine. Bullion has surged roughly 65% this year, marking its strongest annual gain since 1979. (Source: Trading Economics)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: December 15-19, 2025

Dublin First City in the World to Trial Artificial Christmas Tree Recycling

According to reports, Dublin has become the first city in the world to introduce a dedicated recycling scheme for artificial Christmas trees. The pilot, known as Project reTREE, is being delivered with a unique collaboration between Balsam Hill, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council, WEEE Ireland, Thorntons Recycling, Panda, and many local staff at municipal bring centres for waste or recycling. Running from 15 November 2025 to 31 January 2026, the scheme will allow Dubliners to drop off artificial trees of any brand that have reached the end of their useful life. Dublin residents can now bring artificial trees to either Ballyogan Recycling Centre in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown or Ballymount Civic Amenity in South Dublin for responsible recycling at end-of-life. (Source: Irish Central)

RecyClass Launches TechAp Tool to Accelerate Plastic Recyclability Assessments

RecyClass has introduced the TechAp Tool, a digital platform designed to speed up and simplify recyclability assessments for plastic product innovations as the European Union moves toward stricter packaging rules. The organization expects to carry out nearly 100 assessments in 2025, driven by upcoming requirements under the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). According to the report, the new tool allows companies to manage and track the entire evaluation process online, from initial screening and laboratory testing to final approval. RecyClass Chairman Paolo Glerean said recyclability is becoming a regulatory obligation rather than a voluntary goal, and the platform aims to help companies demonstrate that new packaging designs are compatible with recycling technologies currently available in Europe. The TechAp Tool is built on RecyClass’ standardized, science-based recyclability evaluation protocols, which are expected to support compliance with PPWR recyclability targets. RecyClass said more than 400 innovations have already been tested under its protocols, reflecting growing demand from brands and technology providers for packaging solutions that work within real-world recycling systems. (Source: RecyClass)

Liberty Tire Announces $1.4M Equipment Upgrade at North Carolina Facility

Liberty Tire Recycling is investing $1.4 million in new equipment at its Cameron, North Carolina facility, increasing processing capacity by approximately 3,300 tons of recycled material, the company said. The upgrade is expected to divert the equivalent of nearly 300,000 passenger tires annually from landfills, with the recovered material used in applications such as walking trails, running tracks, rubber-modified asphalt and floor mats. The new equipment also expands the facility’s capability to process truck tires, a segment that remains challenging for the recycling industry due to their size and durability. Liberty Tire said the expansion is aimed at meeting rising demand for recycled rubber products. The investment was supported by the passage of North Carolina Senate Bill 706, which redirects tire disposal fees back into the state’s scrap tire management system to help counties cover collection and recycling costs. (Source: Liberty Tire Recycling)

Redwood Materials Introduced Redwood Battery Bin

Redwood Materials has introduced a new automated battery collection system aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of public recycling as lithium-ion batteries become more common in consumer electronics. The system, known as the Redwood Battery Bin, accepts mixed rechargeable batteries and small battery-powered devices without taping, sorting, or disassembly, using internal sensors and real-time monitoring to manage storage conditions and reduce fire risks. The initial rollout will focus on the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Nevada, with bins placed in retail and community locations. Collected materials will be transported to Redwood’s recycling facilities in Nevada and South Carolina, where the company recovers lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper for reuse. The launch comes as U.S. electronics recycling rates remain low, leaving large amounts of critical minerals unrecovered and increasing safety concerns across waste and recycling systems. (Source: Redwood Materials)

BMW and Encory Open Battery Recycling Hub to Recover Critical Materials

BMW Group and recycling specialist Encory have commissioned a new battery recycling facility in southern Germany, aiming to cut costs and emissions in electric vehicle battery production by recovering raw materials for reuse. The Cell Recycling Competence Center (CRCC), located in Salching, Bavaria, will use a “direct recycling” process that mechanically dismantles battery cell production scrap and defective cells, feeding the recovered materials back into BMW’s battery manufacturing cycle without energy-intensive chemical or thermal treatment. BMW said the facility will gradually scale up operations to recycle a mid-double-digit tonnage of battery cell material each year once fully operational. The recovered materials will be reused in pilot battery cell production at BMW’s Cell Manufacturing Competence Center in Parsdorf, supporting the automaker’s broader push toward a circular battery supply chain. (Source: BMW Group)

LOOM Carbon and RTI International Announce Strategic Collaboration to Transform Global Textile Waste

LOOM Carbon has entered a strategic research collaboration with RTI International to advance and scale its thermal chemical recycling technology aimed at converting hard-to-recycle textile waste into carbon-neutral materials. The partnership targets a growing global waste challenge. More than 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated each year worldwide, while less than 15% is recycled. LOOM and RTI said the joint research effort will focus on validating and expanding a recycling pathway that enables textile waste to re-enter industrial supply chains rather than being landfilled or incinerated. LOOM Carbon’s proprietary process is designed to handle mixed and contaminated textiles that are typically excluded from conventional recycling systems. The technology converts discarded fabrics into several high-value outputs, including circular pigments and materials that can replace fossil-based inputs in textiles, coatings and plastics. It also produces carbon materials suitable for use in cement, asphalt and composite applications, supporting emissions reductions in infrastructure and construction. (Source: RTI International)

Decathlon Partners with Ecosis in India to Boost Textile-to-Textile Recycled Polyester

Decathlon Sports India and Ecosis have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the development and application of recycled polyester from textile to textile in sportswear. The agreement, made public by the technology startup, owned by Filatex India, seeks to advance circularity models within the sports industry, reducing dependence on virgin raw materials and giving a second life to textile waste. As part of this partnership, Decathlon Sports India will conduct structured tests with recycled polyester chips and filaments developed by Ecosis, integrating them into its manufacturing ecosystem. The two companies will work together to “explore solutions to keep textile waste in circulation and move towards a more sustainable production model,” they said in a statement. (Source: Decathlon)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: December 15-19, 2025

EPA Announces $8M for Recycling Projects in AK and WA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $8 million to recycling and reuse projects in Washington state and Alaska as part of a broader $58 million national funding round, the agency said. The grants, issued under the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, aim to strengthen local waste management systems and reduce landfill dependence. In Washington, the city of Shoreline will receive about $4.45 million to establish a centralized reuse center combining salvaged building materials, tool lending, and bicycle repair and resale. Officials estimate the project could divert more than 670 tons of reusable material from disposal. In Alaska, the community of Unalaska secured roughly $3.8 million to expand recycling infrastructure and address abandoned and end-of-life vehicles through new equipment, staffing, and public education. (Source: EPA)

Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) Supports Introduction of Recycling Technology Innovation Act

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) released the following statement supporting Congressman Crenshaw (R-TX) and Chairman Palmer’s (R-AL) introduction of the Recycling Technology Innovation Act, legislation that will provide regulatory clarity for advanced recycling technologies. “The plastics industry is committed to recycling more and keeping valuable materials in the circular economy—and advanced recycling technologies are essential to achieving those goals,” said Matt Seaholm, President and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association. “Today, inconsistent interpretations of the Clean Air Act create regulatory uncertainty that slows investment and innovation. The Recycling Technology Innovation Act delivers much-needed clarity by ensuring advanced recycling is regulated as manufacturing and aligning federal policy with what most states already recognize. This commonsense approach strengthens U.S. manufacturing, supports American jobs, and keeps valuable materials in our economy and out of the environment.” (Source: Plastics Industry Association)

Maui County Secures $3.6 Million EPA Grant for West Maui Waste Collection Centers

Maui County has been awarded a $3.6 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to build the first dedicated waste collection centers in West Maui, targeting landfill diversion and illegal dumping in communities affected by the 2023 wildfires. The Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant will fund two new sites in Upper West Maui, expected to divert at least 1,794 tons of material annually. The facilities will accept green waste, recyclables, bulky items and hazardous materials, including appliances, scrap metal, tires, batteries and electronics. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said the investment would strengthen the island’s recycling system and support long-term environmental resilience, while county officials said the project would also reduce environmental risks linked to illegal dumping in remote areas. (Source: Maui Now)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: December 15-19, 2025