SUNSHINE RecycleFlash Weekly: September 7-11, 2026

September 11, 2026

Gold Holds Decline Ahead of US CPI Report

Gold traded near $4,300 an ounce on Friday after falling nearly 2% in the previous session, as investors braced for the US consumer price index report that could reinforce expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike next week. Data released Thursday showed US producer prices accelerated in August as the Iran war pushed wholesale energy costs higher. Markets are now pricing in roughly a 71% probability of a 25-basis-point Fed rate increase next week, up from 61% before the PPI data. Gold also faced pressure from surging oil prices amid the escalating US-Iran conflict, fueling concerns over rising inflation. Meanwhile, Treasury yields jumped following lower-than-expected purchases by the US Treasury Department during its first expanded buyback operation. Non-interest-bearing assets such as gold tend to underperform when yields rise. Gold is on track to lose more than 2% this week, marking its third straight weekly decline. (Source: Trading Economics)

Silver Holds Drop Ahead of US CPI Report

Silver traded around $63.5 an ounce on Friday after tumbling over 5% in the previous session, as investors braced for the US consumer price index report that could reinforce expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike next week. Data released Thursday showed US producer prices accelerated in August as the Iran war pushed wholesale energy costs higher. Markets are now pricing in roughly a 71% probability of a 25-basis-point Fed rate increase next week, up from 61% before the PPI data. Silver also faced pressure from surging oil prices amid the escalating US-Iran conflict, fueling concerns over rising inflation. Meanwhile, Treasury yields jumped following lower-than-expected purchases by the US Treasury Department during its first expanded buyback operation. Non-interest-bearing assets such as silver tend to underperform when yields rise. Silver is on track to lose about 4% this week, marking its third straight weekly decline. (Source: Trading Economics)

Copper Holds Decline as Tariff Fears Ease

Copper futures traded around $6.45 per pound on Friday after plunging nearly 5% in the previous session, pressured by reports that the US is reconsidering plans to impose import tariffs on refined metals. US officials were reportedly concerned that the proposed levies could push domestic copper prices even higher and increase manufacturing costs. The metal surged to record highs earlier this week as traders redirected shipments to US warehouses to capitalize on tariff-driven gains in local prices, tightening global supplies. This came amid ongoing shortages of sulfuric acid for major copper refiners worldwide, as supply pressures from GCC countries prompted China to suspend exports. Mined supply has also weakened, with Codelco and Freeport-McMoRan reportedly posting double-digit production declines, shortly after the International Copper Study Group pointed to a 1.1% drop in global output during the first half of the year. (Source: Trading Economics)

Nickel Falls to 2-Month Low

Nickel traded around $16,550 per tonne, falling to its lowest level since July, as prospects for increased Indonesian supply weighed on prices. Indonesia’s Weda Bay Nickel, one of the world’s largest nickel mining operations, restarted mining after four months of care and maintenance, potentially bringing additional ore supply back to the market, although the ramp-up will be gradual and production volumes for the remainder of the year remain uncertain. Additionally, Indonesia’s 2026 mining quota was set at 250–260 million wet tonnes, below 379 million tonnes in 2025, limiting the scope for higher Indonesian ore supply. At the same time, the US 10-year yield approached 5%, while the dollar index climbed above 99, weighing on base metals broadly. Meanwhile, cuts to Chinese HPAL and MHP output have tightened intermediate supply, providing a countervailing factor to the Indonesian supply outlook. (Source: Trading Economics)

Cyclic Materials Opens Commercial-Scale Rare Earth Magnet Recycling Facility

Cyclic Materials has opened a commercial-scale rare earth magnet recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona, with capacity to process up to 25,000 metric tons of magnet-bearing end-of-life products annually. The facility is the first commercial-scale deployment of the company’s MagCycle technology, which uses automated mechanical separation to recover magnets from end-of-life products. It produces Mag-Xtract rare earth magnet material along with copper, aluminum and steel. More than 7,000 metric tons of feedstock have already been delivered to the facility through commercial supply agreements, with initial shipments to U.S. customers expected later this month. Cyclic Materials said the facility will provide a domestic source for recovering rare earth materials amid growing demand and concentrated global supply chains. The company completed the project 17 months after its initial announcement and is also developing a rare earth recycling campus in South Carolina. (Source: Cyclic Materials)

Call2Recycle, Earth Rangers Extend Battery Recycling Education Partnership in Canada

Call2Recycle and Earth Rangers have extended their battery recycling education partnership through June 2028, expanding the Recycle Your Batteries, Canada! program across schools and digital platforms. The partnership, which began in 2015, will integrate battery recycling education into Earth Rangers’ School Assembly Program starting in fall 2026. The program is expected to reach about 1,000 schools and more than 300,000 students annually during the 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 school years. Educators will also receive classroom materials, including student workbooks and battery collection boxes, to support learning and collection activities. Educational content will be distributed through the Earth Rangers app, website, newsletters, social media and YouTube channel. A related video has already surpassed 800,000 views worldwide. The organizations said the expanded partnership will provide students and families with practical resources to encourage safe and consistent battery recycling habits. (Source: Call2Recycle)

ReBioCycle Demonstrates Closed-Loop PLA Recycling From Mixed Waste

The EU-funded ReBioCycle project has demonstrated a process for recovering polylactic acid (PLA) from mixed plastic waste and converting it into new PLA with properties equivalent to virgin material. The consortium used existing sorting technologies at pilot scale to separate PLA from mixed waste at purity levels suitable for further processing. Torwash then used hydrolysis technology to break the recovered material down into lactic acid, which TotalEnergies Corbion successfully repolymerized into high-quality recycled PLA. Project coordinator Kevin O’Connor said the results show that circular solutions for bioplastics can be implemented at an industrially relevant level. The project comes as the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) pushes the packaging sector toward greater recyclability. ReBioCycle will next focus on validating applications for recycled PLA and scaling the process toward commercial deployment. (Source: ReBioCycle)

Lanxess Opens Battery Laboratory for LFP Materials in Germany

Lanxess has opened a new battery laboratory at its Krefeld-Uerdingen site in Germany to develop and test materials used in lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries directly in battery cells. The specialty chemicals company will focus on iron oxides and iron phosphate, key precursors for LFP cathode materials. The laboratory will allow Lanxess to assess how different material grades affect cell performance, processing and application suitability, potentially shortening development and evaluation cycles with customers. The facility can also test materials for other battery chemistries, including sodium iron pyrophosphate for sodium-ion batteries. Lanxess has not disclosed the investment amount, laboratory capacity or specific customer projects. The new facility builds on the company’s earlier development of battery-grade iron oxides and its 2024 research cooperation with IBU-Tec. Lanxess is also seeking to strengthen its position as a supplier within Western battery value chains as demand for LFP technology grows. (Source: Lanxess)

Flex IT, T1A Group Combine to Form €150 Million European Circular IT Platform

Flex IT and T1A Group have completed their combination, creating a European circular IT platform with approximately €150 million in revenue. The transaction was backed by the Eurazeo Planetary Boundaries Fund, T1A’s majority shareholder, with Dansk Vækstkapital as a minority investor. The combined group will integrate corporate IT collection, certified data erasure, refurbishment and pan-European distribution, aiming to extend device lifetimes and reduce electronic waste. T1A specializes in collecting and refurbishing end-of-use corporate IT equipment, while Flex IT distributes new and refurbished hardware through a network of about 13,000 resellers across Europe. The group operates certified processing facilities in Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland. Flex IT CEO Angelo Bul will lead the combined company, while T1A founder Peter Hemicke becomes executive chairman. The group plans to pursue further acquisitions to expand its geographic reach and service portfolio. (Source: Flex IT)

Copper Development Association Launches Nationwide Copper Advocates Network

The Copper Development Association (CDA) has launched Copper Advocates, a free nationwide network aimed at expanding engagement on copper-related issues at the state and local levels. The program is open to individuals, public officials, organizations and companies interested in supporting copper. Members will receive updates on policy developments, industry issues and copper’s economic impact, along with voluntary opportunities to participate in advocacy efforts, such as signing letters or contacting elected officials. They will also have access to economic data, industry insights and educational materials. CDA President and CEO Adam Estelle said state and local policies can influence the future of the copper industry. The association estimates that the U.S. copper industry generates $254 billion in annual economic output, supports more than 576,000 jobs and contributes $22.9 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. The network will provide at least two updates annually, with additional communications when timely advocacy issues arise. (Source: The Copper Development Association)

Kirkbi Climate Plans Heavy Investment in Plastics Recycling

Kirkbi Climate, the investment arm of the family behind Lego, plans to significantly expand its investments in plastics recycling as Europe prepares to enforce stricter packaging rules. The fund intends to double its $1.6 billion portfolio over the next five years, with plastics recycling expected to be a major investment area. The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) sets a 2030 deadline for all packaging to be recyclable. Kirkbi Climate CEO Anupam Bhargava said the rules could give investors greater confidence that recycling markets will eventually become economically viable, despite current challenges including fragmented value chains and the lower cost of virgin plastic. Kirkbi Climate manages 10 billion kroner and expects future investments to be split roughly between energy transition and recycling, with a focus on selected EU countries and plastics. After more than a decade of climate investing, the fund is also seeking larger positions in companies to gain greater influence over their boards and operations. (Source: Bloomberg News)

EU Plans Broader Aluminum Scrap Export Ban on Non-OECD Countries

The European Union is preparing broader restrictions on aluminum scrap exports to non-OECD countries, a move that could significantly reshape established recycling trade flows to major Asian markets including China and India. The European Commission is developing a delegated act under the Waste Shipment Regulation after withdrawing an earlier proposal that would have covered only part of the bloc’s scrap exports. The proposed measure would prohibit waste exports to non-OECD countries, with exceptions for some EU candidate countries. EU data show the bloc exported 674,337 tonnes of aluminum scrap worldwide in the first half of 2026. China received 189,773 tonnes, or 28.14%, while India accounted for 166,434 tonnes, or 24.68%. The Commission is expected to launch a public consultation before seeking adoption by the end of 2026, potentially increasing pressure on Europe to expand domestic recycling capacity. (Source: EU Today)

New Zealand to Launch Nationwide Rural Plastics Recycling Scheme

New Zealand will launch a nationwide rural plastics recycling scheme on March 1, 2027, replacing existing voluntary programs and expanding the collection of agricultural plastic waste. The Rural Recycling Scheme will cover agrichemical containers, bale wrap and silage sheet, with a small producer-level charge funding a nationwide network of free drop-off and collection services. About 240 existing regional collection sites are expected to be expanded to handle higher volumes. The scheme will be available not only to farmers and growers but also to users in forestry, manufacturing, hospitality, tourism and sports, as well as councils and contractors. Environment Minister Nicola Grigg said existing voluntary programs operated by Agrecovery and Plasback currently recover less than half of the plastics covered by the new system. The government expects the scheme to increase recycling and recovery rates while reducing plastics sent to landfill, buried or burned on farms. (Source: Beehive.govt.nz)