SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: October 27-31, 2025

October 31, 2025

Gold Heads for Second Weekly Loss

Gold prices fell to around $4,010 per ounce on Friday, set for a second straight weekly loss, pressured by fading expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts and a US-China trade deal. The two countries reached a trade truce with a one-year deal on rare earths and critical minerals, as President Trump cut fentanyl tariffs to 10% and Beijing agreed to curb production and resume US soybean purchases. Still, some uncertainty remains over the durability of the deal. Meanwhile, Fed Chair Powell said another rate cut in December is not assured, keeping the dollar near a three-month high and making gold costlier for foreign buyers. Nevertheless, the metal remained on track for a monthly gain and is up about 50% this year, supported by strong central bank demand. The World Gold Council reported that central banks bought 220 tons of gold in Q3, up 28% from the previous quarter, led by Kazakhstan, while Brazil made its first purchase in over four years. (Source: Trading Economics)

Citi Downgrades Short-Term Gold, Silver Price Forecasts

Citi on Monday cut its short-term gold and silver price targets, lowering zero-to-three month gold price forecast to $3,800 per ounce from $4,000 and its silver forecast to $42 per ounce from $55, citing shifts in global market conditions. The cuts follow trade negotiations led by U.S. President Donald Trump with countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, alongside potential talks with Brazil, India while China’s President Xi Jinping has signaled openness to discussions, reducing market uncertainty, Citi said. The bank said that changes in price momentum, the potential resolution of the U.S. government shutdown, and lower inflation expectations could weigh on gold prices in the near term. (Source: Reuters)

Copper Set for Monthly Gain on Global Supply Concerns

London copper prices rose on Friday after a dip in the previous session and were set for a third straight monthly gain on global supply concerns. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange increased 0.46% to $10,967.5 per metric ton by 0225 GMT, having risen 6.75% so far this month. The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange dipped 0.99% to 87,610 yuan ($12,299.59) a ton. However, it was up 5.28% so far this month, also heading for a third straight monthly gain. Supply concerns have risen recently, with many top miners reporting lower output for the first nine months of the year. Analysts from investment bank Citi remain bullish on copper, expecting higher prices in 2026 due to stronger cyclical demand expectations and mine supply constraints. (Source: Reuters)

Silver Holds Advance

Silver hovered above $48.5 per ounce on Friday and was poised to finish the week slightly higher as rising market volatility lifted demand for safe-haven assets. US stocks pulled back from record highs overnight amid a selloff in tech shares, while the Federal Reserve’s latest rate cut and the Trump-Xi meeting offered little fresh support. The Fed delivered a widely anticipated quarter-point reduction earlier this week, though Chair Jerome Powell cautioned that another cut in December is not guaranteed. The meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi also concluded with some trade concessions from both sides, but there were no major developments that surprised the market. Meanwhile, silver lease rates in London eased from record highs, suggesting improved market liquidity. Earlier this month, silver hit all-time highs during a short squeeze and liquidity crunch in London before retreating on profit-taking. (Source: Trading Economics)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: October 27-31, 2025

Eurasian Resources and Mercuria Sign $100 Million Copper Deal

Mercuria Energy Trading SA will provide up to $100 million in prepayments to Eurasian Resources Group as part of a three-year supply agreement for copper from Democratic Republic of Congo. The financing will help Luxembourg-registered ERG develop its copper projects in the central African nation, the company said in an emailed statement Thursday. Mercuria is expanding aggressively into metals, with a keen focus on central Africa’s copper-rich nations. The firm’s new metals division is up by around $300 million in trading profits so far this year, Bloomberg News reported earlier this month. (Source: Mining.com)

We Recycle Solar and Nations Roof Ink Strategic Partnership as America’s Sustainable Rooftop Partners

We Recycle Solar, the nation’s leading solar panel recycling company, and Nations Roof, a premier U.S. commercial roofing contractor, announced a strategic partnership to advance rooftop sustainability nationwide. Together, the companies will deliver an integrated solution to help commercial property owners retire aging rooftop solar systems responsibly and prepare their buildings for the next generation of energy-efficient infrastructure. This offering combines certified, zero-landfill solar panel recycling with the installation, maintenance, and warranty-compliant support of high-performance roofing systems — all aligned to ESG and lifecycle asset management goals. With a 0.47 EMR and a 1,100+ member self-performing service team, Nations Roof brings proven safety leadership and consistent quality to every project. We Recycle Solar complements this with the only EPA-permitted solar panel recycling facility in the U.S. and a zero-landfill processing model. (Source: PR Newswire)

Ryerson and Olympic Steel Announce Merger Agreement

Ryerson Holding Corporation and Olympic Steel announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge. The merger will enhance the combined company’s presence as the second-largest North American metals service center and represents a highly compatible strategic match as it will bring Olympic Steel’s complementary footprint, capabilities, and product offerings into Ryerson’s intelligently interconnected network of value-added service centers. The transaction is expected to generate approximately $120 million in annual synergies by the end of year two via procurement scale, efficiency gains, commercial enhancement, and network optimization. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Olympic Steel shareholders will receive 1.7105 Ryerson shares of common stock for every Olympic Steel share of common stock owned and will own approximately 37% of the combined company. The merger is expected to be immediately accretive to shareholders of the combined entity and is expected to result in a reduced pro-forma leverage ratio of less than three times, assuming partial credit for synergies. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions and the receipt of regulatory and shareholder approvals. (Source: PR Newswire)

Supercharging Solar Recycling with New Sydney Facility

A new solar panel recycling facility has officially opened its doors at Bankstown Airport as part of the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to increase recycling and ease pressure on landfills. The new facility by PV Industries is expected to process up to 6,000 tonnes of solar panels per year, with each panel processed in under 90 seconds. This new facility will divert approximately 200,000 panels from landfill. The leading Australian startup has developed two recycling technologies, the Deframer and Deglasser, which can recover up to 90% of solar panels by weight. NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Chief Executive Tony Chappel said the business received $3.3 million from the EPA to help establish this commercial-scale facility. Six drop-off points have been established in NSW including in Bankstown, Dubbo, Maitland, Newcastle, Thornleigh and the Central Coast, building the collection network for end-of-life panels. ( Source: NSW EPA)

BMW to Launch New EV Battery Recycling Program in Australia

The local subsidiary of German luxury automaker BMW says it is partnering with Victorian battery recycler EcoBatt to launch a new electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling program. The partnership with EcoBatt will focus on recycling high-voltage lithium-ion EV batteries that have been recovered from BMW vehicles, including batteries that have been either damaged or reached the end of their operational life. The announcement comes less than two months after EcoBatt officially opened the world’s first battery-in-device shredding (BIDS) plant at its headquarters in Campbellfield, Victoria. The plant is capable of processing up to 5,000 tonnes of embedded batteries each year while recovering over 90 per cent of the materials, including metals and plastics. It is capable of processing a range of products including phones, toys, vapes, power tools, as well as EV batteries. Recycling batteries from BMW and Mini EVs will be transported from dealers the plant in Campbellfield, where the batteries will be safely discharged and the recovered energy captured to be reused in the facility’s operations, further reducing the carbon output of the recycling process. (Source: The Driven)

REI Co-op and Ambercycle Reach Three-Year Agreement to Scale Regenerated Polyester

REI, the nation’s largest consumer co-op, and Ambercycle, a leader in molecular regeneration, announced a three-year offtake agreement for cycora® regenerated polyester. This agreement will help Ambercycle scale up their production of next-generation materials and advance REI’s commitment to bringing the best outdoor gear to its members while minimizing waste and environmental impact. As the nation’s largest specialty outdoor retailer, REI is uniquely positioned to help mature the market for regenerated polyester. Many popular REI Co-op brand products contain polyester, including the Magma Sleeping Bag, XeroCloud Rain Jacket, and Road Tripper Duffel Bag. Beyond its own products, the co-op further engages its thousand brand partners to advance more sustainable and inclusive business practices via its Product Impact Standards. Taken together, the purchasing power of the co-op’s customers and members can help mainstream the use of lower-carbon materials across a huge variety of outdoor gear and apparel. (Source: REI)

Reconomy Makes Sixth US Acquisition via Lincoln Waste Solutions

Reconomy, the international circular economy specialist, announces the acquisition of National Waste Associates (NWA) through Lincoln Waste Solutions by Reconomy. Having scaled up operations across the UK and Europe, Reconomy has been focused on executing the next phase of a growth strategy to build a material position in the US to capitalise on the significant opportunities in the world’s largest market. The region produces 10x more waste than the UK, yet has linear resource chains, low recycling rates and an over-reliance on landfill and incineration. Following this latest acquisition, Lincoln Waste Solutions is now a top-five waste and recycling management operator in the US. As Reconomy’s first acquisition in this region, Lincoln Waste Solutions is the bedrock of its North American expansion strategy. The addition of National Waste Associates builds on its already impressive customer base that includes hundreds of major retail and Fortune 500 clients, while further strengthening its capabilities, network and resources. (Source: Reconomy)

AGC Initiates Collaboration with NPC Incorporated to Expand Horizontal Recycling of Solar Panel Cover Glass

AGC, a leading manufacturer of glass, chemicals, and other high-tech materials, has announced a collaboration with NPC Incorporated to advance the recycling of solar panel cover glass. With the goal of recycling several thousand tons of solar panels annually by 2030, AGC is joining forces with multiple companies to establish a collection system for cover glass. Through this partnership, AGC has developed a new approach to horizontally recycle cover glass—separated using NPC’s solar panel recycling equipment—into architectural flat glass. (Source: AGC)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: October 27-31, 2025

China to Suspend New REE Export Controls for One Year

China agreed to suspend a planned expansion of export controls on rare earth elements (REE) for a year after US President Donald Trump struck a broad trade deal with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The meeting, in the South Korean city of Busan, also saw Trump agree to lower tariffs on Chinese goods from 57% to 47%, news agencies including Agence France-Presse and Reuters reported Thursday. In exchange, Beijing vowed to crack down on fentanyl exports and buying US soybeans, the reports said. China, which accounts for most of the world’s rare earth production, imposed export restrictions in April on seven REE in response to US tariffs and limits on semiconductors. It added five REE – erbium, europium, holmium, thulium and ytterbium – to the list on Oct. 9, saying it would now require export licences for goods containing even trace amounts of certain elements. The new measures were due to take effect Nov. 8. (Source: Mining.com)

South Korea Expands Tax and Finance Support to Boost Critical Mineral Recycling

South Korea has announced a comprehensive plan to boost critical mineral recycling and strengthen supply chain stability amid global uncertainties. The initiative includes easing regulations, lowering tariffs, and offering tax and financial incentives to encourage private sector participation. A joint public-private council will oversee key recycling projects, while rare earth supply measures will focus on overseas investments and technology development. The government aims to raise the recycling rate of 10 strategic minerals to 20% by 2030. The move follows China’s export curbs and a new U.S.-China agreement to lift rare earth export restrictions. (Source: Yonhap)

California Settles Lawsuit over False Recyclability Claims on Plastic Bags

The California Department of Justice (DOJ), US, has settled a three-year investigation into Revolution Sustainable Solutions, Metro Poly, PreZero US Packaging, and Advance Polybag for false recyclability claims and the sale of non-recyclable plastic bags in the state of California. The four packaging manufacturers previously sold plastic bags certified to meet recyclability requirements, as required by state law SB 270. However, the California DOJ found these are not recyclable in any recycling stream. As part of the settlement, the companies have agreed to stop selling plastic bags in California and collectively pay US$1,753,000, which includes US$1,115,750 in civil penalties and US$636,250 in legal fees. (Source: Packaging Insights)

SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: October 27-31, 2025