SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: March 9-13, 2026

March 13, 2026

Gold Firms After Two-Day Fall

Gold prices rose to around $5,110 per ounce on Friday, following a two-day drop, as markets weighed the geopolitical risk premium against the inflationary impact of surging oil prices. US President Donald Trump and Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei struck defiant tones on the 13th day of the war. Trump said preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and threatening the Middle East outweighs concerns over oil prices, while Khamenei vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and warned Tehran could open additional fronts if US and Israeli attacks persist. This has pushed energy prices higher, fueling further inflation concerns and dampening expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates. Markets see no chance of a reduction at next week’s meeting and only about a 70% probability of a cut later this year. Gold is heading for back-to-back weekly losses. (Source: Trading Economics)

Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD Loses Ground to Near $84.50 on Strong US Dollar

Silver price (XAG/USD) declines to around $83.60 during the early European trading hours on Friday, pressured by a stronger US Dollar (USD). Traders will closely monitor the situation in the Middle East. The release of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index report for January will be the highlight later on Friday. Geopolitical escalation continues in the Middle East, which could boost a safe-haven asset such as the white metal. US President Donald Trump said that preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons and threatening the Middle East is “of far greater interest and importance to me” than the cost of oil. Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, stated the Islamic Republic would seek to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed. He added that Tehran would look to open other fronts in the war if the US and Israel persist with their attacks. (Source: FXStreet)

Copper Pressured by Dollar Strength

Copper futures fell below $5.8 per pound on Friday, marking a third consecutive session of losses as the dollar strengthened amid the ongoing war in the Middle East and surging oil prices. The US-Israeli war with Iran showed no signs of easing, with oil prices jumping after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed while Tehran intensified attacks on regional oil and transport facilities. Heightened forward-looking inflation risks dampened expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, with forecasts now pointing to only one reduction later this year, supporting the dollar. In corporate news, Chinese firm Jiangxi Copper completed the acquisition of SolGold, securing control of the Cascabel copper-gold porphyry project and the company’s broader exploration portfolio in Ecuador, strengthening China’s presence in the country’s strategic resources. (Source: Trading Economics)

Aluminium Dips as Oil Surge Fuels Inflation Concerns

Aluminium eased on Friday as rising oil prices remained a focus and continued to fuel inflation concerns, although the metal was headed for weekly gains amid supply risks linked to the ongoing Middle East war. The most-active aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was down 0.26% at 25,250 yuan ($3,667.13) a metric tonne as of 0250 GMT, but was on course for a near 3% weekly gain. The benchmark three-month aluminium contract on the London Metal Exchange dipped 0.09% to $3,513.50 a tonne and was set to end the week up by 2%. The Middle East war has disrupted shipment and delivery of aluminium and raw materials to and from the region that accounts for around 9% of the world’s aluminium output. Norsk Hydro said on Thursday that its Qatalum aluminium smelter in Qatar halted a curtailment announced last week and would keep production at around 60% of its capacity, easing some supply worries. However, the oil price surge has stoked fears of higher inflation, pressuring base metals including aluminium and capping gains driven by supply risks from the Middle East, traders said. (Source: Reuters)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: March 9-13, 2026

Emirates Biotech Joins EU Project to Convert Food Waste into Bioplastics

Emirates Biotech has joined the Circle consortium, a €27 million ($31 million) European initiative aimed at converting food waste into bio-based chemicals such as polylactic acid (PLA). The four-year project, funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking under the Horizon Europe framework, brings together 17 partners across the waste management, chemicals and consumer goods sectors. Emirates Biotech will oversee polymerization of lactic acid derived from food waste to produce high-purity PLA for testing and product development in markets including automotive, cosmetics and food packaging. The consortium, coordinated by TripleW, also includes companies such as Volkswagen and FrieslandCampina. Participants say the project aims to scale earlier lab-scale breakthroughs toward industrial production of PLA made entirely from food waste. (Source: Emirates Biotech)

Hyundai Motor Signs Battery Recycling Deal with Chinese Firm in Indonesia

Hyundai Motor Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Zhejiang Huayou Recycling Technology to cooperate on battery recycling in Indonesia, the company said. Under the agreement, Hyundai will supply production scrap from its Indonesian battery cell plant—operated through a joint venture with LG Energy Solution—to Zhejiang Huayou Recycling Technology, an affiliate of Huayou Cobalt. The materials will be processed into black mass, which can be refined to recover battery metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel for reuse in new batteries. The partners also plan to collaborate on recycling end-of-life electric vehicle batteries. Hyundai said the initiative is an early step toward building a circular battery supply chain covering the full lifecycle of EV batteries. (Source: Hyundai Motor)

Cox Automotive Reaches 10 Million Pounds in EV Battery Recycling

Cox Automotive said its EV Battery Solutions unit has processed and recovered more than 10 million pounds of black mass from electric vehicle batteries, marking a milestone in the company’s recycling operations. Black mass contains valuable minerals that can be refined and reused to produce new batteries. The company said the achievement reflects growing demand for services that manage the full EV battery lifecycle, including logistics, repair, remanufacturing and recycling. Cox Automotive expects the need for such services to increase as more electric vehicles enter the secondary market. EVs accounted for about 5% of lease maturities in 2025 and are projected to exceed 12% in 2026. At its recycling facility in Oklahoma City, technicians use a dry recycling process involving mechanical disassembly, shredding and air-based separation, enabling material recovery rates of up to 94%, the company said. (Source: Cox Automotive)

Amcor’s PCR Industrial Containers Receive U.N. Certification

Amcor has received United Nations certification for two industrial containers made with 50% postconsumer recycled (PCR) plastic, the company said. The 5.5-liter SuperLift Extra and 5.8-liter SuperFlex containers are produced at Amcor’s facility in Pamplona, Spain. U.N.-approved packaging is designed to prevent leaks and exposure during the storage and transportation of solid and powdered hazardous materials. Amcor said the containers are intended for industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical products and automotive applications, with expected demand from the swimming pool chemicals sector. The company added that offering packaging with 50% PCR content could help manufacturers meet evolving European Union and national packaging regulations. The Pamplona site also holds RecyClass certification, enabling Amcor to apply RecyClass labeling to non-food packaging produced at the facility. (Source: Amcor)

DEScycle and Mitsubishi Corp. Strengthen Partnership on E-Scrap Metals Recovery

DEScycle Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corporation have formed a strategic partnership to expand metals recovery from electronic scrap, building on Mitsubishi’s investment in the London-based company in 2025. Under the agreement, the firms will act as preferred partners in Japan, working together to develop projects focused on processing and recovering metals from e-scrap. The collaboration combines DEScycle’s ionometallurgy platform with Mitsubishi’s trading network and market expertise. DEScycle’s technology uses deep eutectic solvent chemistry to extract metals with lower energy use and environmental impact than conventional smelting, according to the company. DEScycle is currently building a demonstration plant in the United Kingdom with Mitsubishi’s support. The companies plan to explore further expansion in Japan and other markets as demand grows for critical and precious metals recovered from electronic waste. (Source: DEScycle)

Cascades Invests $6.9 Million to Upgrade Recycled Boxboard Plant in Quebec

Cascades Inc. said it has invested $6.9 million to upgrade equipment at its uncoated recycled boxboard mill in Kingsey Falls, Quebec, aiming to boost production capacity and improve product quality. The investment includes the installation of new equipment designed to enhance sheet quality control, particularly surface finish and printability, to better meet the requirements of the food packaging sector. President and CEO Hugues Simon said the project will help the company increase capacity and maintain strong partnerships with customers while supporting long-term competitiveness. Commissioned in 1972, the Kingsey Falls facility employs 68 people and supplies boxboard for industrial and food packaging applications. Cascades said the investment also reflects its commitment to strengthening operations in Quebec and supporting growth in sustainable packaging markets. (Source: Cascades)

Worn Again Launches Pilot Facility to Advance Polycotton Recycling

Worn Again Technologies has unveiled an “Accelerator” plant in Winterthur, Switzerland, aimed at advancing the commercialization of its textile-to-fiber recycling technology. The Nottingham-based company specializes in chemical processes that separate polyester and cellulose from mixed end-of-life fabrics, including polycotton blends that have historically been difficult to recycle. The new facility will demonstrate the technology at scale and allow partner companies to test different textile feedstocks and validate the recycling process. The plant’s first module focuses on recovering spinnable polyester from postconsumer textile waste sourced from Switzerland, the European Union and the United Kingdom. Future modules are expected to produce next-generation cellulosic fibers. Worn Again said the facility will support development of its first commercial-scale plant and expand partnerships for supplying waste textiles and offtaking recycled materials. (Source: Worn Again Technologies)

Stena Recycling Expands Investment in EV Battery Recycling

Stena Recycling says it has invested more than 500 million Swedish kronor ($54.5 million) in recent years to expand its electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling and reuse operations across Europe. The company has built one of Europe’s largest battery recycling facilities in Halmstad, Sweden, and established battery collection centers in several countries. According to Marcus Martinsson, product area manager for batteries, the global end-of-life EV battery market could generate $28 billion in economic activity within the next decade. Stena Recycling said it can recover materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel from batteries while also collecting production scrap from EV battery manufacturing. The company is also developing reuse options for batteries that retain capacity, including applications in forklifts and energy storage, aiming to build services spanning production, handling, reuse and recycling. (Source: Stena)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: March 9-13, 2026

Kenya’s NEMA to Hold National Meeting on Draft E-Waste Rules

National Environment Management Authority will hold a national validation meeting next week to finalize new regulations aimed at strengthening electronic waste management and environmental oversight in Kenya. The meeting is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at The Co-operative University of Kenya and will review two draft frameworks: the Electrical and Electronic Waste Management Regulations, 2025, and the Environmental (Strategic Assessment, Integrated Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2025. Developed under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act, the proposed rules seek to address rising volumes of discarded electronics such as computers, mobile phones and household appliances by strengthening collection, recycling and producer responsibility systems. The environmental assessment regulations are intended to streamline procedures for strategic assessments, environmental impact reviews and compliance audits for development projects. NEMA said the latest drafts incorporate feedback from earlier stakeholder consultations and public participation forums. (Source: NEMA)

FPI Opens Applications for 2026 Foam Recycling Grants

Foodservice Packaging Institute has opened applications for its 2026 foam recycling grant program, offering funding to help expand recycling access for polystyrene foodservice packaging. The program, run by FPI’s Foam Recycling Coalition, provides grants of up to $50,000 to material recovery facilities, nonprofit organizations and solid waste authorities. Funding is intended to support projects that establish or expand recycling programs for foam polystyrene items such as cups, egg cartons and takeout containers. According to the institute, the initiative has helped extend foam recycling access to more than 15 million additional residents since it began. Applications will be accepted through April 17. Previous recipients have used the grants to purchase equipment including collection bins and foam densifiers to improve local recycling operations. (Source: Foam Recycling Coalition)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: March 9-13, 2026