SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: May 26-30, 2025

May 30, 2025

Gold Heads for Weekly Loss as Dollar Ticks Higher, US Inflation Report in Focus

Gold prices fell on Friday and were headed for a weekly loss amid a slight uptick in dollar, while investors awaited a key U.S. inflation report that may provide further insight into the Federal Reserve’s policy trajectory. Spot gold was down 0.4% at $3,303.51 an ounce, as of 0601 GMT. Bullion is down 1.6% so far this week. U.S. gold futures fell 0.5% to $3,300.70. The dollar index rose 0.2%, making gold more expensive for overseas buyers. (Source: Reuters)

Gold, Silver Prices Ease in Indian Markets as Global Cues Pressure Bullion

On Thursday, 29 May 2025, gold prices in India dipped slightly, reflecting international market trends where spot gold slumped to its lowest in over a week. According to data from Business Standard, the price of 24-carat gold dropped Rs 10 per ten grams to Rs 97,470, while silver slipped Rs 100 to trade at Rs 99,900 per kilogram in major Indian cities including Delhi and Mumbai. The price of 22-carat gold also eased by Rs 10, with ten grams selling at Rs 89,340 in cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. In Delhi, the rate for the same purity stood slightly higher at Rs 89,490. Meanwhile, one kilogram of silver was selling at Rs 99,900 in Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai, but was notably higher in Chennai at Rs 1,10,900, as per Business Standard. (Source: Times Now)

Nickel Drops to 6-Week Low

Nickel futures fell to the $15,000 per tonne mark, the lowest in six weeks, and remaining near the over-four-year low of $14,150 in April as output cuts from Indonesia were not enough to counter the view of an oversupplied market. The Indonesian government reduced nickel mining quotas by 120 million tons to 150 million this year, cutting global supply by 35% from current levels. This was due the surge of Chinese smelting projects in Indonesia after the latter prohibited the export of nickel ores in 2020. Indonesia was the host of 44 nickel smelting operations as of September, compared with four 10 years prior. Consistently, nickel warrants available at LME warehouses rose by 30,000 tonnes since the start of the year to 180,230 at the end of May. In the meantime, lingering skepticism over whether the White House will be refrain from tariffing trading partners in July also pressured base metals. (Source: Trading View)

Chile Lifts Copper Price Call as Supply Disappoints and Trade Fears Ease

Chile, the biggest copper-producing country, raised its price projections for the metal this year and next on easing trade-war tensions and supply disruptions that signal the market is swinging into deficit. The government’s copper commission, Cochilco, expects prices to average $4.30 a pound this year and next, compared with its previous forecast of $4.25 for both years, according to a report Wednesday. The quarterly projections were delayed to give officials more time to analyze the metal’s wild ride of late. Trading just below $4.70 a pound now, US futures surged to records above $5.20 in late March amid a rush to get metal into the US ahead of tariffs, before tumbling below $4.20 two weeks later as the Trump administration unveiled a raft of levies. With the US and China entering a 90-day tariff truce, the trade outlook has improved somewhat, according to the report. Cochilco sees global copper demand growing 2.3% this year. (Source: Bloomberg News)

Dongkuk Steel Shuts Down Incheon Rebar Plant, Korea’s Largest

South Korea’s major steel player, Dongkuk Steel announced a temporary shutdown of its Incheon rebar production plant, marking an unprecedented move in the company’s 71-year history. The decision, effective from July 22 to August 15, comes in response to a prolonged downturn in the construction sector and a persistent oversupply in the domestic steel rebar market. The Incheon facility, the largest single rebar production plant in South Korea, has an annual capacity of 2.2 million tons and accounts for 40% of Dongkuk Steel’s total revenue. The shutdown is expected to reduce rebar supply by approximately 200,000 tons. The company has been grappling with declining demand for over two years, exacerbated by falling construction orders and intensifying competition. Despite previous efforts to mitigate losses, including scaling back plant utilization rates, Dongkuk Steel determined that a full production halt was necessary to address excess inventory and stabilize market conditions. Rising raw material costs and anticipated summer electricity rate surcharges further contributed to the decision. (Source: Business Korea)

Norske Skog Launches Recycled Containerboard Production at French Mill

Pulp and paper producer Norske Skog has begun producing recycled containerboards at its mill in Golbey, France, after securing a €400 million (US$455 million) investment. The company’s new containerboard machine is expected to boost its annual containerboard capacity by 550,000 metric tons, reaching a total volume of 760,000. The Norwegian producer focuses on paper for packaging and publications and has four industrial sites. Norske Skog plans to begin delivering recycled containerboards to its customers in the second quarter of 2025. “Capacity utilization is expected to reach 50–60% toward the end of 2025 and full utilization of 95% during the first half of 2027.” The company adds that its containerboard production will be fully based on recycled paper. Alongside the mill’s 550,000 metric ton containerboard capacity, the facility is also able to produce 330,000 tons of newsprint, making Golbey one of the largest mills in the European paper and packaging industry. The Golbey mill is expected to contribute to the region’s environmental sustainability by sorting and recycling more than one million metric tons of waste paper sourced locally, close to the mill. (Source: Packaging Insights)

Ecogensus Acquires Two Recycling Facilities, Kickstarting Transformative U.S. Infrastructure Plan

Ecogensus announced the acquisition of two advanced materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in high-value, growing U.S. markets. This strategic move marks a pivotal step in Ecogensus’ U.S. expansion, positioning the company to operate and enhance these facilities as fully integrated recycling hubs. The facilities historically generated over $14 million annually in revenue, but Ecogensus is implementing structural and operational improvements expected to double processing capacity. In addition, new Rhino Recycler 5000 Series units will be deployed to supercharge the operations by eliminating a large cost center (residual waste disposal) and converting it to an additional revenue generator (Rhino output products). The acquisition serves as a launchpad for Ecogensus’ ambitious U.S. Phase 1 deployment, which consists of 1,500 Rhino Recyclers to be deployed in the mainland U.S. (many projects are underway globally by third-party customers, licensees and developers). (Source: Ecogensus)

PepsiCo Abandons Plastic Reduction Targets Amid Industry Shift

PepsiCo has officially abandoned its commitment to achieve 20% reusable beverage packaging by 2030, marking a reversal in the company's sustainability strategy. The beverage and snack giant announced that it will end its goal to reduce virgin plastic from non-renewable sources per serving and scale back several other plastic packaging reduction initiatives. PepsiCo’s reusable packaging rate has remained stagnant at 10% since first announcing the target in 2022, according to the company’s own reporting. This decision follows a similar move by competitor Coca-Cola in December 2024, when it also retreated from reusable packaging and virgin plastic reduction commitments. (Source: Plastics Today)

International Paper Announces UK Site Closures and Job Cuts

International Paper, a US-based sustainable packaging solutions provider, has announced the closure of five of its UK packaging sites, leading to a loss of around 300 jobs, reported Reuters. The company, which recently completed a $7.2bn acquisition of British paper and packaging company DS Smith, is currently undergoing a consultation process with employees and unions. The closures are part of a strategic review of International Paper’s UK operations. The company is also considering relocating one site, transitioning another to a five-day continuous operation from a seven-day schedule, and implementing a small number of redundancies at two additional packaging locations. Specific details about which UK sites are affected have not been disclosed. International Paper anticipates that these changes will be finalised by the end of the year. (Source: Reuters)

Nigeria to Open Two Chinese-Backed Lithium Processing Plants This Year

Nigeria is set to commission two major lithium processing plants this year, the country’s mining minister announced on Sunday, marking a shift from raw mineral exports towards adding value domestically. The facilities, largely funded by Chinese investors, could help transform Nigeria’s vast mineral wealth into jobs, technology, and manufacturing growth within the country. Mining Minister Dele Alake said a $600 million lithium processing plant near the Kaduna-Niger border is slated for commissioning this quarter, while a $200 million lithium refinery on the outskirts of Abuja is nearing completion. Two additional processing plants are expected in Nasarawa state, which borders the capital Abuja, before the third quarter of 2025, the minister said. Over 80% of the funding for the four facilities has been provided by Chinese firms, including Jiuling Lithium Mining Company and Canmax Technologies, according to separate announcements by governors of the states where the plants are located. The remaining stakes are owned by local investor Three Crown Mines. (Source: Reuters)

US Approves Utah Uranium Mine After Two-Week Environmental Review

The Trump administration approved Anfield Energy’s proposed Velvet-Wood uranium mine project in Utah on Friday after a rapid 14-day environmental review as part of a new process to fast-track permitting of energy and mining projects. Such studies typically take years because of the large potential environmental consequences of uranium mining. The Canadian company’s project is the first approved under an emergency process for the Interior Department to permit energy facilities on federal lands. The new procedures are in response to President Donald Trump’s national energy emergency declaration, made on his first day in office in January in an effort to boost domestic energy supplies, bring down fuel prices and bolster national security. Anfield filed its plan of operations for the mine on April 1, according to documents on an Interior Department website. (Source: Reuters)

Oregon Legislature Passes Bill to Ban Plastic Film Bags at Checkout, Awaits Approval

The Oregon legislature has passed a bipartisan bill banning the use of plastic film checkout bags at restaurants, grocery stores and retail stores statewide. Senate Bill 551, approved Tuesday in a 22-8 vote in the Senate, now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek for her signature. The measure targets thicker plastic bags that are often used at checkout, marking another step in the state’s efforts to reduce plastic pollution. The bill defines a “reusable plastic checkout bag” as a “bag with handles that is specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and is made of durable plastic that is at least four mils thick.” Originally, the bill also aimed to expand Oregon’s “straws upon request” law to include plastic utensils, condiments, and single-use toiletries in hotels, but those provisions were removed by the House. Supporters say the new law will reduce waste, protect wildlife and ease the burden on local recycling systems. (Source: Environment America)

Texas to Require Recycling of Retired Solar, Wind Projects

Texas lawmakers passed legislation that requires renewable energy facilities in Texas to recycle all components that are capable of being reused or recycled. HB 3228 would also require non-recyclable components to be properly disposed of. HB 3229 set reporting and financial assurance requirements for recycling facilities. This bill aims to address a pass situation within the wind industry, where a recycling facility failed to fulfill its promise to General Electric to recycle about 5,000 wind turbine blades. Both bills were introduced by Rep. Stan Lambert (R). Under the legislation, solar facility agreements must stipulate that the grantee is responsible for collecting and reusing or recycling, or shipping for reuse or recycling, all components that are practicably capable of being reused or recycled, including the modules. The agreements must also stipulate that grantees are responsible for disposing of all components that are not practicably capable of being reused or recycled. (Source: PV Magazine)

Nebraska Governor Signs Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Act into Law

On May 20, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen signed LB36 officially enacting the Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Act. The bill marks a major milestone for environmental protection, public safety, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) in the state. This new legislation tackles one of the fastest-growing, most valuable, and most dangerous waste streams in the country—lithium-ion and other household batteries. Championed by Senator Jana Hughes and developed through collaboration with Nebraska state officials, local governments, and national partners–Including the Product Stewardship Institute–the new law establishes a statewide, producer-funded battery stewardship program for portable and medium-format batteries. It reflects years of policy development and incorporates best practices from states like Vermont, Washington, and Illinois. (Source: PSI)