At 10 a.m. on March 28, the side-blown furnace of Jiangxi Jiangtong Tongxin Environmental Protection Resource Comprehensive Utilization and Environmental Protection Equipment Manufacturing Phase II Project was successfully ignited, marking the full commissioning of Jiangxi Copper Group’s first full-chain project for solid waste resource utilization and environmental protection equipment manufacturing.

Recently, the Fuding Ecological Environment Bureau in Ningde City, Fujian Province, released the acceptance announcement for the environmental impact assessment document of the "Lithium Battery Material (General Industrial Solid Waste) Collection and Recycling Project" undertaken by an environmental protection technology company in Ningde. This project involves the recycling and processing of waste battery materials and waste lithium battery electrode sheet materials. It utilizes anode (negative electrode) sheets to separate copper particles and graphite powder through crushing and screening processes. The project has an annual capacity of recycling 30,000 tons of waste battery materials and processing 50,000 tons of waste lithium battery electrode sheet materials.

Recently, the Hefei Xinzhan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Anhui Province released an announcement regarding the approval decisions for environmental impact assessment documents for construction projects made between March 2, 2026, and March 8, 2026. According to the announcement, a company specializing in recycling technology in Anhui has a comprehensive waste resource utilization project with a total investment of 45 million yuan. The construction site is located in the Hefei Xinzhan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. The project will establish one new production line for the physical separation of lithium battery negative electrode sheets, one comprehensive utilization line for lithium battery positive/negative electrode sheets

On March 23rd, the first environmental impact assessment public notice was released for the Wet Electronic Chemicals Project undertaken by a new material company in Hefei, Anhui. Project details are as follows: The project covers 72.1 mu and will be implemented in two phases. Phase I involves constructing a 30,000-ton-per-year Buffered Oxide Etchant (BOE) facility, including buildings such as an integrated office building, R&D building, BOE production workshop, liquid ammonia tank farm, raw material and product tank farm, Class A and hazardous waste warehouse, utility building, boiler room, and maintenance workshop.

SMM News, March 27: Lead prices operated at low levels this week, and secondary lead smelters generally lowered their purchase prices for scrap batteries. Today’s average purchase prices were: waste e-bike battery at 9,775 yuan/mt, waste automotive lead-acid battery (white shell) at 9,875 yuan/mt, and waste automotive starter lead-acid battery (black shell) at 10,075 yuan/mt. Quotes in the recycling market diverged, with some traders raising prices to 9,450 yuan/mt to attract cargoes, squeezing profits, while others lowered prices to 9,250 yuan/mt, with recycling volume constrained. Affected by sluggish downstream consumption, relatively low retirements, weaker prices, and end-users holding back cargoes, recycling volume this week was half the normal level. After the Qingming Festival, the pace of smelter resumptions is expected to gradually accelerate, and demand for raw material procurement is likely to be released. In addition, with raw material inventories at some smelters still at low levels, this is expected to provide some support for scrap battery prices. Going forward, continued attention should be paid to lead price trends and developments in smelter production and maintenance. » Subscribe to View Historical SMM Metal Spot Prices

On March 25, the commissioning ceremony for the waste battery material recycling project of Guangzhou Youmei Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. was held in Baiyun, Guangzhou. As Guangzhou's first waste battery material recycling project, its commencement of production will provide a stable supply of recycled resources for the new energy industry in South China and across the nation. It also represents a crucial step for GAC Group in perfecting its green industry chain and responding to the national "dual carbon" strategy.

According to market reports, Outokumpu's Kemi mine in Finland—Europe's sole chromium extraction operation—has comprehensively transitioned into a circular economy model following a recent ~$324 million (€280 million) deepening project. The facility, which processes 2.5 million tonnes of chromium ore annually, now targets the conversion of 3 million tonnes of annual mining waste into usable industrial materials for road construction, infrastructure, and concrete production. Through advanced material recovery and scrap processing capabilities that handle over 2 million tonnes of recycled steel annually, the operation achieves an impressive 94% recycled content in its stainless steel production.

[SMM Midday Tin Commentary: Improving Macro Sentiment Drove a Rebound in Tin Prices, While Follow-Through in Spot Transactions Remained Limited]

[SMM Rare Earth Bulletin] Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and US President Trump reached an agreement under which both sides will strengthen cooperation on critical minerals to enhance supply chain resilience. The two countries signed a preliminary agreement to jointly develop deep-sea mineral resources, including rare earth-rich mud resources around Minamitorishima. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Department of Commerce will establish a working group to advance technical cooperation on projects involving rare earth mud and manganese nodules. In addition, Mitsubishi Materials is cooperating with US-based ReElement Technologies on a project in Indiana to recycle rare earths from waste magnets.

[Garpenberg Zinc Concentrates Production Was Suspended Due to Seismic Activity] According to Boliden, production at the Garpenberg mine was temporarily suspended on March 14 due to seismic activity, and the beneficiation plant subsequently also halted production. Seismic activity has since eased, and preliminary inspections of the mine began on March 18. Mine production will gradually resume after inspections of the infrastructure and mining workplaces are completed. It is not yet possible to determine the timing of the production restart or the pace of ramp-up. In 2025, Garpenberg's zinc concentrate production was 101,700 mt in metal content.