SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: July 21-25, 2025

July 25, 2025

Gold Slides Slightly as Safe-Haven Demand Eases

Gold prices softened slightly in global markets on Friday amid easing safe-haven demand. Spot gold fell by approximately 0.2-0.3%, trading near $3,361-$3,364 per ounce. The decline came as investors responded to improving trade sentiment between the US and the EU. However, a weakening US dollar helped cap losses. For the week, gold posted a modest gain of around 0.4%. In India, the prices declined slightly today from the previous day. For example, 24K gold was at ₹10,097/g on July 24, which is now down to ₹10,048/g. While 22-carat gold is currently traded at ₹9,210 per gram. In Chennai, the price of 8 grams of gold (sovereign) dropped by ₹360 to ₹73,860. (Source: The New Indian Express)

Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD Remains Subdued Near $39.00 Amid Dampened Safe-Haven Demand

Silver price (XAG/USD) remains subdued for the third consecutive day, trading around $39.00 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Friday. The price for the Silver faces challenges amid easing trade tensions and rising risk appetite. Investors continue to monitor progress in tariff negotiations, with the US and EU reportedly nearing an agreement that would impose 15% tariffs on EU goods imported into the US. Additionally, US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday a major tariff deal with Japan, which includes a 15% tariff on Japanese exports. (Source: FXStreet)

Copper Prices Ease as Traders Brace for US Tariffs

Copper on the London Metal Exchange and the Shanghai Futures Exchange eased, as traders held back ahead of an August 1 deadline when trade duties, including a 50% metal import tariff, are set to start between the U.S and its trading partners. Three-month copper on the LME was down 0.1% at $9,867.5 a ton, as of 0101 GMT on Friday. Still, the contract has climbed 0.92% so far this week and is poised for a second weekly gain. The most-traded copper contract on SHFE receded 0.69% to 79,290 yuan ($11,083.16) a ton, but might end the week on a positive note with a 1.16% climb so far. (Source: TradingView)

Chile Bumps Up Copper Price Forecast, Flags Lagging Collahuasi Output

Top copper supplier Chile on Wednesday bumped up its outlook for prices of the red metal, though it flagged lagging output from a major mine operated by Glencore and Anglo American as weighing on economic growth. Finance Minister Mario Marcel, in a presentation to Congress, upped the government forecast for average copper prices for this year to $4.28 per pound, from $4.26 per pound previously. Marcel maintained the official estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) growth for this year at 2.5%, though he said non-mining GDP had compensated for a drop in the mining sector’s contribution. Earlier on Wednesday, the chair of Chilean state miner Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, told Reuters that the 50% tariffs on copper set to go into effect on August 1 from the United States had influenced record prices there with global uncertainty causing price volatility. Chile’s finance ministry maintained its average copper price forecast for next year, at $4.30 per pound. It also held its inflation outlook for this year and next, along with next year’s GDP growth forecast. (Source: Reuters)

Industry Trade Groups Team to Form California Producer Responsibility Organization

In order to ensure that clothing and textiles are kept out of landfills, the California Retailers Association (CRA), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the National Retail Federation (NRF) have signed an MOU to jointly create an independent, 501(c)(3) Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). The recently established organisation will comply with California’s pioneering Extended Producer Responsibility rule for textiles by collecting, repairing, reusing, and recycling materials after use. California’s SB 707, which went into effect in 2024, mandates that textile importers and manufacturers join and finance a PRO in order to assume responsibility for end-of-life management. In order to comply with the law, the PRO will create and carry out a strategy that addresses the safe and appropriate handling of covered products as well as their collection, transportation, repair, and recycling. A PRO must be approved by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery by 1st March 2026, after the PRO application deadline of 1st January 2026. (Source: Apparel Resources)

R2 Recycling Launches Full-Scale Solar Panel Recycling for Fort Washington, PA and the Greater Philadelphia Region

R2 Recycling announced the roll-out of a dedicated solar panel recycling program designed to support businesses, solar installers, and property owners across Fort Washington and surrounding communities throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. As the state’s solar footprint accelerates—driven by corporate decarbonization targets and expanding renewable-energy incentives—the new service offers organizations a reliable, turnkey solution for retiring photovoltaic (PV) modules responsibly. A company representative noted that local stakeholders have been searching for a trusted outlet to divert aging or damaged panels from landfills. The spokesperson emphasized that the program answers that need by pairing flexible pickup schedules with transparent documentation, allowing clients to demonstrate environmental stewardship while maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations. (Source: R2 Recycling)

3i-Backed EC Waste Acquires ARB Waste Services in Puerto Rico

3i Group plc announces that EC Waste, the leading vertically integrated provider of solid-waste services in Puerto Rico, has acquired ARB Inc., a specialised local provider of bespoke waste collection and environmental-management services. The transaction marks a significant milestone for EC Waste as it continues to build scale and strengthen its capabilities in Puerto Rico. ARB enhances EC Waste’s technical capabilities, expands its geographic footprint and supports the acceleration of its digitalisation and sustainability agenda. The acquisition expands EC Waste’s offering by integrating ARB’s operations across residential, commercial, and industrial non-hazardous solid waste services. The combined business will expand geographic coverage in traditionally underserved areas in Puerto Rico using real-time monitoring, intelligent-routing systems and web and mobile applications to enhance customer service. Furthermore, operations will benefit from EC Waste’s comprehensive disposal network, providing Small and Medium Enterprises with more economical waste-management solutions while enhancing environmental compliance and improving public health in Puerto Rico. (Source: 3i)

RecycLiCo Partners with Lucid to Strengthen North American Domestic Supply Chain for Critical Minerals and Metals

RecycLiCo, a critical minerals refining and lithium-ion battery upcycling company, announced that it, together with Lucid and other industry leaders has become a founding member of the Minerals for National Automotive Competitiveness Collaboration, a partnership focused on accelerating the development and procurement of American-sourced critical mineral resources for use in automotive manufacturing by domestic automakers and Tier 1 suppliers. The other MINAC members are Alaska Energy Metals, Graphite One and Electric Metals. The MINAC members will work together to: Advance domestic mineral production through the completion of offtake agreements for American critical minerals for use in American automobiles; Identify and resolve barriers, and accelerate commercialization and customer adoption; Improve coordination between the mining and automotive sectors; and Support the qualification and procurement of domestically produced materials by American automakers and Tier 1 suppliers. (Source: RecycLiCo)

Alter Steel Signs Technology and Equipment Agreement with Danieli for $750 Million Queensland Steel Mill Project

Alter Steel has finalised its contract with Italian engineering firm Danieli to supply the technology and equipment for its $750 million steel mill in Pinkenba, Queensland, with the down payment now made to secure delivery. When complete, the facility will produce 500,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel products annually to meet Queensland’s growing construction demand using 100 per cent local scrap. The mill will be the first steelmaking facility in Australia to deliver wire rod, hot-rolled mesh, spooled coil and bar directly from a single site, supporting faster delivery, reduced handling and streamlined fabrication. (Source: AuManufacturing)

Sibanye-Stillwater Expands Recycling with $82m Metallix Deal

Sibanye-Stillwater has announced it will acquire US precious metals recycler Metallix Refining in a deal valued at $82 million in cash, with an enterprise value of $105 million. The acquisition will expand the group’s global recycling operations and increase its visibility in the United States. Metallix is based in Greenville, North Carolina, where it recovers precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from industrial waste. It runs two processing facilities in the state and supplies customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and South Korea. With more than 60 years of experience, the company is well established in the precious metals recycling industry. In 2024, Metallix processed around 4.2 million pounds of waste material and recovered approximately 21,000 ounces of gold, 874,000 ounces of silver, 48,000 ounces each of palladium and platinum, along with smaller volumes of rhodium, iridium, and copper. Sibanye stated in a press release that the acquisition will support its recycling operations in Montana and Pennsylvania by bringing in additional capacity, specialist knowledge and proprietary technology. The group expects the deal to boost its ability to source materials from different regions and improve its logistics network. (Source: Mining Review Africa)

Circular Materials and Call2Recycle Canada Join Forces to Build a Safer, More Sustainable Future

Circular Materials and Call2Recycle Canada announce a strategic collaboration designed to share best practices and enhance public awareness for the recycling of materials specific to each organization’s mandate. As two national leaders in extended producer responsibility (EPR), this partnership brings together deep expertise in packaging, paper and battery recycling. By aligning communication efforts, sharing best practices and amplifying promotion and education initiatives, Circular Materials and Call2Recycle’s program Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! are creating a more streamlined approach to supporting Canadians in their efforts to recycle more responsibly and helping producers meet their regulatory obligations. Ensuring Canadians are informed and equipped to recycle materials responsibly not only drives positive environmental outcomes but keeps recycling systems safe from risks such as battery fires. (Source: Call2Recycle)

Indonesia to Cut Tariffs, Non-Tariff Barriers in US Trade Deal

Indonesia has agreed to eliminate tariffs on more than 99% of U.S. goods and scrap all non-tariff barriers facing American firms, while the U.S. will drop threatened tariffs on Indonesian products to 19% from 32%, the two countries said on Tuesday. Trump hailed the deal, which he first announced on July 15, in a posting on his Truth Social media platform, calling it a “huge win for our Automakers, Tech Companies, Workers, Farmers, Ranchers, and Manufacturers.” (Source: Reuters)

Freeport-McMoRan Still Waiting for US Copper Tariff Details, CEO Says

Freeport-McMoRan has yet to see details of US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose a 50% tariff on copper imports starting next week, its CEO said on Wednesday after the mining company posted better-than-expected quarterly results. Trump announced the tariffs earlier this month as part of a plan to boost US production of a metal critical to electric vehicles, military hardware, the power grid and many consumer goods. The duty is slated to begin on August 1. The US imports roughly half of its annual copper needs. Trump and his administration have not shared details on what type of the red metal the tariff would affect, a lack of clarity that has confounded producers, companies that use copper and countries that export it. “We’re still waiting on additional details on implementation of the tariff announcement,” Freeport CEO Kathleen Quirk told investors on a conference call on Wednesday. Quirk added that Freeport is “not aware of any exemptions at this point” for US imports of the metal. (Source: Reuters)

EU Starts Surveillance of Scrap Metal Trade as Supplies Decline

The European Commission has started monitoring imports and exports of scrap metal including steel, aluminium and copper after stark industry warnings of shortages and the risk of smelter shutdowns, it said. EU smelters have been struggling for some time to secure supplies of scrap metal, a major input and an integral part of the EU’s push to reduce carbon emissions. Much of the scrap is exported to Asia and Turkey. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on primary steel and aluminium have exacerbated the problem as dealers have started selling scrap aluminium to U.S. smelters. “The EU is experiencing a decline in metal scrap availability... The introduction of a 50% tariff by the United States on a wide range of steel and aluminium products (excluding scrap) may further worsen this issue,” the Commission said in a statement on Wednesday. The Commission will decide what action to take by the end of September based on the data. Meanwhile, duties targeting exports to the U.S. could take effect sooner if the EU fails to reach a trade agreement with Trump and decides to retaliate with countermeasures. (Source: Reuters)