SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: June 15-19, 2026

June 19, 2026

UBS Cuts Near-Term Gold Outlook but Maintains Long-Term Bullish View

UBS has lowered its near-term outlook for gold, warning that prices could fall to between $3,850 and $4,000 per ounce as stronger U.S. economic data and expectations of delayed Federal Reserve rate cuts weigh on the market. The bank said resilient labor market data and rising real yields have shifted investor expectations toward a possible U.S. rate hike later this year, reducing gold’s appeal. Analysts also said the metal’s muted reaction to heightened U.S.-Iran tensions prompted profit-taking, leaving prices more sensitive to macroeconomic factors. Despite the weaker short-term outlook, UBS remains positive on gold over the next 12 months. The bank expects renewed support from central bank purchases, U.S. fiscal concerns and anticipated Fed rate cuts in 2027, which it believes will help lift prices over the longer term. (Source: Mining.com)

Copper Falls as Oyu Tolgoi Exports Resume

Copper futures dropped below $6.4 per pound on Thursday, giving back gains from earlier in the week after Rio Tinto resumed exports of copper concentrate from its giant Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia following a brief protest-related disruption. Oyu Tolgoi is among the world’s largest copper mines and remains central to Rio Tinto’s strategy to increase production of a metal critical to electrification, the energy transition, and growing demand from data centers. Copper also faced pressure after the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but signaled increasing support for rate hikes later this year. The prospect of higher borrowing costs clouded the outlook for global economic activity and industrial metals demand. Meanwhile, the US and Iran signed an interim peace agreement that is expected to lead to the reopening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. (Source: Trading Economics)

Zinc Remains Near 4-Year High

Zinc futures hovered below $3,600 per tonne but remained near a four-year high, supported by easing geopolitical tensions and tight near-term supply conditions. The US and Iran remotely signed a memorandum of understanding to end their war, alleviating fears about global economic growth and improving the outlook for industrial demand. At the same time, recent disruptions across major producers have reinforced supply concerns. Glencore’s Kazzinc facility in Kazakhstan is running at reduced capacity after an explosion, while Nexa’s Cajamarquilla smelter in Peru was temporarily suspended due to fire damage, though production is gradually resuming. Goldman Sachs also noted that Boliden’s Garpenberg mine in Sweden could operate at structurally lower output levels for longer after a seismic activity earlier this year. Meanwhile, the US dollar strengthened amid increased bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike, pressuring dollar-priced commodities. (Source: Trading Economics)

Electrified Materials Joins NAATBatt to Expand Battery Recycling Network

Electrified Materials Corp. (EMCO), a subsidiary of American Resources Corporation, has joined NAATBatt International, a North American trade association representing the advanced battery industry, as the company expands its lithium-ion battery recycling business. EMCO said membership will strengthen its engagement with battery manufacturers, recyclers and technology providers while supporting the development of a more resilient domestic battery supply chain. The company is building capabilities in the collection, storage, shredding, pre-processing and conditioning of end-of-life, off-warranty and off-spec lithium-ion batteries. EMCO will continue to work with ReElement Technologies for downstream refining of recovered battery materials, allowing it to focus on front-end recycling operations. The company said the partnership is intended to improve the recovery of critical minerals, including materials from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which have traditionally been more difficult to recycle economically. (Source: ACCESS Newswire)

BlueAlp, LBC Secure EU Funding for Rotterdam Chemical Recycling Project

BlueAlp and LBC Tank Terminals have received a €1.5 million grant from the European Union’s Just Transition Fund to support the front-end engineering design (FEED) of a large-scale chemical recycling plant in the Port of Rotterdam. The funding, awarded through the Just Transition Fund’s Rijnmond programme, will finance technical studies, engineering, permitting, logistics, financing and site integration. The plant will be co-located at LBC’s existing terminal, allowing the partners to leverage shared infrastructure, improve transport efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. BlueAlp said the project is designed to strengthen the economics and environmental performance of chemical recycling while meeting growing regulatory demand in Europe. The company has also secured separate Dutch government funding this year for a research project on chemical recycling of flexible plastic waste with Renewi, Shell and Utrecht University. (Source: Packaging Europe)

Eneroc Becomes Battery Council International’s First Lithium-Only Battery Manufacturer Member

Battery Council International (BCI) has welcomed Eneroc USA as its newest member, marking the first time in the organization’s more than 100-year history that a manufacturer focused exclusively on lithium batteries has joined. The move reflects the evolving battery industry, as BCI expands beyond its traditional focus on lead-acid batteries to include lithium-ion, sodium-based, and other emerging battery chemistries. According to BCI, shipments of lithium batteries from its members increased 31% year over year in 2025, highlighting the technology’s growing role in industrial applications. BCI President and Executive Director Roger Miksad said Eneroc’s membership strengthens the association’s ability to represent the broader battery industry, advance safety standards, and support domestic energy security. Eneroc USA CEO Sandro Pagliarulo said joining BCI reflects the growing maturity of lithium battery technology and its expanding role in electrification and the energy transition. Founded in 1924, BCI represents companies involved in battery manufacturing, recycling, distribution, and sales. While lead-acid batteries remain critical for automotive, stationary, and industrial uses, the organization said it aims to foster collaboration across battery technologies on issues including safety, sustainability, product integrity, and resilient domestic supply chains. Eneroc USA is part of China-based Eneroc, which supplies lithium battery systems for industrial electric vehicles using batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited. (Source: Batteries International)

Closed Loop Partners Expands California Initiative to Improve Small Plastic Recycling

Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy has launched the next phase of its Smalls Consortium in California, aiming to improve the recovery of small-format plastic packaging ahead of the state’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) law taking effect in 2027. The initiative is backed by founding partner L'Oréal, with support from Kraft Heinz, CVS Health and strategic advisor Circular Action Alliance (CAA). Field trials will be conducted with Southern California recycler Potential Industries to test methods for capturing small rigid plastics that are typically lost in conventional recycling systems. The consortium will evaluate sorting technologies, material recovery, end-market demand and packaging design to develop a scalable recycling model. Closed Loop Partners said insights from the project will help support California’s recycling reforms and could serve as a framework for other states adopting EPR policies. (Source: PR Newswire)

NTT, Mitsubishi Materials to Launch Circular Economy Venture for Recycled Materials

NTT and Mitsubishi Materials plan to establish NTT Circurust, a joint venture designed to expand the use of recycled materials by combining material recovery with digital tracking of their origin, environmental impact and other key attributes. The company will oversee the collection, recovery, production and sale of recycled materials sourced from end-of-life IT equipment and telecommunications infrastructure. It also aims to improve the flow of information across the supply chain, helping manufacturers verify recycled content and sustainability credentials. The venture comes as Japan strengthens its circular economy policies, including a target for around 30% of domestically produced copper to come from recycled sources by 2030. NTT and Mitsubishi Materials said the initiative will improve transparency, encourage wider adoption of recycled materials and help organizations better understand the environmental benefits of recycling retired equipment. (Source: NTT)

German Metal Recycling Groups Merge to Form Circular Metal Association

Germany’s two leading metal recycling organizations, the German Steel Recycling and Disposal Association (BDSV) and the German Association of Metal Traders and Recyclers (VDM), have signed a merger agreement to establish the Circular Metal Association (CMA). The merger is expected to take effect in the coming weeks following registration, after which both associations will cease operating as separate legal entities and transfer their rights, obligations and memberships to the new organization. The CMA will represent Germany’s steel and metal recycling industry across the entire value chain, including collection, processing, trading and supply to manufacturers, as well as the trade of primary metals, ferroalloys and specialty metals. The association will advocate for the sector before German and European policymakers while representing the industry in international organizations, including Recycling Europe and the Bureau of International Recycling. (Source: BIR)

PureCycle Targets New Jersey Recycled Content Rules With Food-Grade PCR Resin

PureCycle Technologies said its PureFive® recycled polypropylene resin has been recognized by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as qualifying post-consumer recycled (PCR) content under the state’s recycled content law, positioning the company to support food packaging manufacturers ahead of new requirements taking effect in 2027. Beginning in January 2027, rigid plastic food-contact packaging sold in New Jersey must contain at least 20% PCR content, with the threshold rising to 50% by 2036. PureCycle said food-contact containers containing at least 20% PureFive resin have already been produced by packaging company Amcor, demonstrating compliance with the initial requirement. The company said its dissolution recycling technology removes contaminants from post-consumer polypropylene to produce food-grade recycled resin, providing brands with a domestic PCR supply as recycled content mandates expand across the United States. (Source: PureCycle)

Hydro to Shut Two U.S. Aluminum Extrusion Plants in 2027

Hydro will close its aluminum extrusion facilities in City of Industry, California, and Delhi, Louisiana, during 2027 as part of efforts to optimize its North American operations. Production at the California plant will end on Jan. 1, 2027, with limited activities continuing through the first quarter. The Louisiana facility will cease operations on April 1, followed by a wind-down period through the third quarter. The two plants employ about 350 workers. Hydro said the closures were driven by low capacity utilization and the significant capital investment needed to maintain the sites. The company has begun discussions on transition packages and is encouraging affected employees to apply for vacancies at other North American facilities. Hydro is also transferring production to other plants, with the transition expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2027. (Source: Hydro)

BIR Raises Concerns Over Impact of New EU Steel Regulation on Recycling Markets

The Bureau of International Recycling has issued a statement on the European Union’s newly adopted Steel Regulation, warning that the measures could have significant implications for global recycled steel and scrap markets. The regulation, which takes effect on July 1, 2026, replaces the EU’s existing steel safeguard regime and introduces a revised tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system. Annual duty-free import quotas will be reduced to 18.3 million tonnes, while imports exceeding quota limits will face a 50% tariff, up from the previous 25% rate. BIR noted that recycled steel is a key raw material for electric arc furnace steelmaking and cautioned that changes to steel import conditions, quota allocations, and origin verification requirements could disrupt trade flows across the recycling value chain. The regulation also introduces a “melt and pour” requirement to verify the origin of imported steel. The European Commission is expected to publish detailed compliance rules by August 31, 2026, and has launched a consultation seeking industry input on acceptable documentation standards. BIR encouraged recyclers, scrap processors, traders, and steel producers to participate in the consultation process, emphasizing the need for practical and transparent rules that support both circular economy objectives and global trade in recycled materials. (Source: BIR)