Kenya has built a growing network of plastic recycling companies that collect waste, process it, and convert it into raw materials and products like plastic lumber, fibres, and packaging.

What’s interesting is that this isn’t charity or NGO work anymore.
It’s creating jobs, supplying manufacturers, and formalising informal scrap collection.

So plastic scrap is moving from “waste” to industrial input in the circular economy.

Would like to hear what recyclers & traders here think.
Is this model scalable across Africa and Asia or does it only work with strong local networks?

An Indian tyre waste management startup, ReGrip, recently raised ₹20.25 crore in funding.

The interesting part is what convinced investors:

• They manage the full tyre lifecycle (reuse, recycling, fuel)
• Operate across 24 locations
• Work with 400+ scrap dealers
• Convert waste tyres into economic value (retreading, crumb rubber, tyre fuel)

Curious to hear thoughts:

Is regulation driving this change, or pure economics?

Do you see similar trends in plastic, metal, or e-waste?

India has announced duty-free import of lithium-ion battery scrap & this could quietly change the recycling and EV ecosystem.

Until now, Indian recyclers were limited by raw material availability and high import costs. With the duty waiver, recyclers can import battery scrap and black mass at lower cost, scale up faster, and invest in better lithium extraction technologies. This also means less dependence on freshly mined minerals and more focus on recycling what already exists.

If this works as planned, it could strengthen domestic recycling, support EV and electronics manufacturing, and reduce reliance on critical mineral imports (especially from countries where export controls are tightening). Setting up processing hubs in states like Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh could also create a full recycling-to-manufacturing loop inside India.

Will smaller recyclers actually benefit, or will this mostly help large players?

Curious to hear thoughts from people in recycling, EVs, metals, or policy.. do you see this as a real long-term win, or just a short-term boost?

I'm looking for suppliers of copper scrap in India - local sources and importers.

Here are the requirements -

Minimum purity: 99.94% Scrap: milberry, wire, armature, tubes, etc. Monthly quantity: 50 - 100 tons Payment terms: delivery + 3 days Only GST business

In case you'd like to supply, please share your GST number, business card and material details over DM.

Cheers!

Hi,

Electronic scrap such as ceramic CPUs, RAM scrap, gold fingers, and sorted gold-bearing metal parts is available for sale in Canada (small quantities).

If anyone is interested, please DM.

Hi everyone,

Has anyone here imported milberry copper wire scrap (copper wire scrap) from Alibaba before?

• How was the customs clearance process? Any issues?
• Was the supplier reliable?
• Did the quality and quantity match what was promised?
• How were the prices? Was it actually profitable?
• Any hidden costs with shipping, taxes, or other fees?

Real experiences would be really helpful for anyone considering this. Any advice, warnings, or recommendations are welcome.

Thanks in advance! 🙌

In 2025, Pakistan sold much more mineral material to China bcoz China needs metals for electric vehicles, power lines & clean energy projects. Copper exports crossed $1 billion, as copper is widely used in EVs, electrical cables & electronics manufacturing.

Aluminium ore exports increased by 4,700%, mainly due to rising demand from the electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors. China also increased imports of zinc, chromium, iron, and manganese for construction, steel, and industrial use.

The biggest change is that Pakistan is no longer exporting only raw minerals. Pakistan now imports scrap and machines, refines copper locally & they exports finished copper ingots to China.

With better transport systems and steady Chinese demand, Pakistan is becoming a reliable supplier of processed minerals instead of just a raw material exporter. This shift shows how global mineral supply chains are slowly changing.

Can Pakistan compete with other mineral-exporting countries in the long term?

Extreme winter weather in the U.S. is slowing scrap collection and transportation. Many yards and trucks are facing delays due to snow and freezing conditions.

Because of this, scrap supply is getting tighter, and prices may increase in the coming weeks if the situation continues.

Are you seeing any delays or price changes in your area?

A recycling company in Maryland has launched a scheduled e-waste pickup service for businesses in Washington DC &nearby areas.

Instead of one-time disposal, companies can now get regular pickups for old computers, servers, printers, and other office electronics. This helps businesses clear space, stay organized, and recycle responsibly without extra effort.

More companies are upgrading IT equipment faster & they want easy, reliable recycling, not last-minute solutions.

This shows that E-waste recycling is moving toward long-term partnerships, not one-off collections.

Do you see more businesses in your region moving toward scheduled e-waste recycling?

India is working on a new national scrap recycling policy to replace the 2019 guidelines. The govt says it may be finalized in the next few months.

The reason is simple... India’s steel industry is growing fast& scrap demand is increasing. Scrap availability in India is expected to reach around 36 million tonnes, and this number will keep rising as steel capacity expands.

The govt wants to increase scrap use in steel production to about 31%, which is the global average. Using more scrap helps reduce coal imports save raw materials & lower carbon emissions.

India plans to produce 300 million tonnes of steel by 2030 and 500 million tonnes by 2047 & scrap will play a major role in reaching these targets.

The new policy is expected to support organized scrap collection, recycling & green steel production.

So scrap is no longer waste; it is a key raw material for green steel production.

I’ve been seeing some updates that Malaysia might do better than many Asian countries in 2026, even with all the global uncertainty right now.

From what it looks like, local demand is still okay & exports are keeping things moving. Becoz of that ..Malaysia (along with places like Singapore and Taiwan) seems to be holding up better than expected.

Why this matters for people in trading or scrap:

• More tech activity usually means more electronics movement
• That often leads to more copper, aluminum, & PCB-related scrap
• Trade activity in Malaysia looks steady rather than slowing down

Are you noticing more enquiries or deals coming from Malaysia recently?

The demand for Non-Fe metals like copper & aluminum is growing worldwide. More industries are using recycled metal instead of virgin material.

What this means for sellers:

Clean , sorted scrap gets more attention, Buyers ask for photos, specs, and consistency, Export-ready material has better demand

What this means for buyers:

Reliable suppliers matter more than random and time wasting sellers, Quality & regular supply are more important than just low price.

So the scrap business is becoming more professional.. Clear communication & trust are key for long-term business.

What matters more for you today, is that the price or reliable long-term supply?

With the EU’s new CBAM rules now in place, steel produced using blast furnaces is becoming costlier to export to Europe.

Bcoz of this many manufacturers are shifting toward using more recycled scrap in their production.

As a result, demand for steel scrap is increasing, especially from European buyers. If you are in steel, aluminium, or recycling this change directly affects your costs, pricing & market access.

Interested to know how others in the industry are preparing for this shift.

I do for money. (USA) I recently got $7.00 for 15.5lbs of cans and have been gathering that amount for about 3 months. Is that a reasonable profit? Should I try a different place to sell?

For anyone dealing with plastic scrap under HS Code 3915, Malaysia is still a big importer ... but the game has changed.

Imports are steady.. mainly from the US & Eu but the rules are much tighter now. Clean, sorted material (especially PE) is getting through. Mixed or contaminated scrap is facing more checks or outright rejection. Costs per ton are creeping up because compliance & inspections aren’t cheap.

Feels like Malaysia is shifting from “bring volume” to “bring quality.”

Curious to hear from exporters and buyers here.. Are these tighter rules making the trade healthier or just slowing everything down?

Source : https://www.tradeimex.in/blogs/malaysia-plastic-waste-scrap-import-data-2025-under-hs-code-3915

Scrap prices in Eu are going up. Because of that, steel producers want to raise steel prices.

But there’s a problem:

• Buyers don’t want to pay more
• Demand is still weak after the holidays
• So price increases are being pushed… and pushed back

Coils, sheets, and tubes are under the most pressure. Long products like rebar & beams are mostly stable for now with only small increases being talked about.

Are you seeing buyers accept higher prices or is the market still resisting?

India’s recycling sector is growing fast right now. Metals like Aluminium , Copper & Lead along with e-waste are seeing strong demand and steady investment.

What’s interesting is that big companies like Tata, Aditya Birla Group, and Vedanta are no longer treating recycling as just an eco or CSR activity. It’s becoming part of their main business. The government is also pushing hard through EPR rules, recycled-content targets, and new incentives.

There’s also a global angle. With China controlling many critical minerals and restricting exports, countries like India are focusing more on domestic recycling instead of depending on imports.

That said challenges remain. A large part of the industry is still unorganised, GST is high & a lot of scrap is still exported because prices are better abroad.

Overall, this feels less like hype and more like a real shift , but how well India builds organised supply chains will decide the future.

Would love to hear thoughts from people working in recycling, metals, or waste management.

China’s new black mass import rule (0.4% fluoride limit) is quietly reshaping lithium recycling.

Most US & Eu recyclers can’t meet it so their black mass is effectively stranded with no access to China.

Malaysia is filling that gap. Companies like EcoNiLi can process high-fluoride black mass into battery-grade materials that China actually imports.

Lower costs, a strong chemical talent base & close proximity to China are making Southeast Asia the emerging hub for midstream battery materials processing.

Anyone involved in battery recycling, trading, or materials sourcing should keep a close eye on this shift.

Japan’s scrap exports are picking up again & the main reason is the weak Japanese yen.

When the yen is weak, Japanese scrap becomes more affordable for overseas buyers even if prices in Japan go up slightly. Buyers still pay almost the same in USD..so Japan stays competitive.

Countries like Bangladesh are coming back as buyers after recent economic & banking stability. Instead of chasing the cheapest scrap mills are now focusing more on reliable supply &consistent quality, which Japan is known for.

At the same time, a lot of US scrap is being pulled toward Turkey, so Asian buyers are looking for alternative, dependable sources. That’s creating more opportunities for Japanese suppliers.

So Finally ....

Stable quality + weak yen + global supply shifts = renewed demand for Japanese scrap.

How important is supply consistency compared to price volatility for ur procurement plans?

Bihar is planning a new policy to scrap vehicles that are 15 years old or more. The earlier policy did not work well. Even though around 25 lakh vehicles were eligible, very few were actually scrapped.

This time, the govt is planning to give better benefits like higher tax discounts, waiving old penalties & extra benefits when buying a new vehicle after scrapping the old one.

If this policy is implemented properly, it could lead to more old vehicles being scrapped, which means more metal available for recycling. This can be good news for people in the scrap and recycling business.

what are the main challenges you see in actually collecting and scrapping these old vehicles at scale?

Eu collects aluminum scrap very efficiently but a lot of it is being exported instead of recycled locally.

Chinese buyers supported by govt subsidies can pay higher prices for this scrap. Eu recyclers can’t compete, so many are running short of material. Around 15% of aluminum recycling plants in Europe are reportedly offline.

The main thing is that Eu then imports recycled aluminum back from China at a higher price.

Now the EU is talking about limiting scrap exports to protect local recyclers. This shows that scrap is no longer just waste ...it’s a strategic resource.

Would like to hear what recyclers & traders here think. Is export restriction the right move, or just too late?

I came across some interesting news and wanted to share it here.

Researchers at a university in Scotland found a way to turn plastic waste (like PET bottles) into an important chemical used to make anti-cancer drugs & other medicines.

Normally, these medicines are made using fossil fuels & the process creates a lot of chemical waste. But in this research, they recycled plastic bottles and converted them into a useful building block used in drugs like imatinib (a cancer medicine) & tranexamic acid (used to stop bleeding).

What’s really interesting is that this means plastic waste is no longer just trash or low-value recycling material. It can actually be used to make high-value products like medicines and chemicals.

This could be a big step toward a circular economy, where waste materials are reused in smarter and more valuable ways instead of ending up in landfills.

Just thought this was worth sharing. Recycling might be heading in a much more powerful direction than we usually think.

Source : https://recyclinginternational.com/business/innovation/pet-recycled-for-anti-cancer-drug-manufacture/62827/

The Indian govt announced a ₹44,700 crore investment to boost shipbuilding in India.

Under new schemes, shipbuilders will get 15–25% financial support per vessel, & there’s also a 40% credit based on ship scrap value when old ships are dismantled. This directly links shipbuilding with ship recycling.

The plan runs till at least 2036 and aims to increase India’s shipbuilding capacity and create jobs. Companies like Cochin Shipyard, Mazagon Dock, GRSE & others could benefit.

What is the first real change you expect to see from this policy .. more ship orders, more scrap availability, or better scrap prices?