IS THERE A RIGHT TIME FOR RECYCLERS TO INVEST IN NEW EQUIPMENT?
To stay ahead, every firm needs to invest for the future. This investment can take the form of skills, research, premises or machinery and equipment, which essentially represents a choice between capital and labour. It also does not have to be one or the other but can involve both. However, all investments have a […]
COMMODITY VOLATILITY, COPPER PRESSURE & WHAT IT MEANS FOR RECYCLERS IN 2026.
Almost two and a half months into 2026, and commodity markets have already experienced a significant amount of volatility and uncertainty. This is especially the case during times of disrupted supply chains, geopolitical friction, wars and socio-economic turmoil. Adverse events such as these may include strikes at major mines and disruptions to major sea routes that negatively affect the availability of raw materials.
WHAT DOES 2026 HOLD FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN RECYCLING INDUSTRY?
It seems like South African recyclers may have had a mixed 2025. A slightly stronger economy from 2025 Q2 onwards might have begun to be felt by recyclers, but it depends on which part of the industry is focused on. As the table below shows, non-ferrous metal prices mostly rose, but those for ferrous metals largely fell. In addition, prices for paper scrap mostly rose but were ambiguous for plastics, while exporters of plastic scrap may have been hurt by a weak British economy. On the regulatory front, the draft New National Waste Management Strategy 2026 (NWMS 2026) was published, bringing with it costs as well as some opportunities.
COMMODITIES IN FOCUS: COBALT, COPPER, ALUMINIUM – AND THE RECYCLING OPPORTUNITY.
The Cobalt Institute expects global demand for cobalt to rise by 6% in 2026, amidst supply restrictions from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the world’s largest producer of cobalt. The DRC suspended cobalt exports in February 2025 to put a floor under falling cobalt prices caused by a worldwide surplus, but from mid-October placed export controls on miners so that exports could resume, ease the surplus and raise prices. Cobalt prices more than doubled to over USD44,000/tonne (t) by 17 October since the DRC first acted, which could push battery producers to speed up research for a substitute for the metal.