Top 10 Stories You Shouldn't Miss From September 2026
September changed the ground rules for India's scrap and recycling trade, from Brussels and Beijing to New Delhi and Punjab. Europe drew a line on metal scrap, India tightened its own import checks, oil above $100 made new plastic dearer, and a fixed biogas price gave straw a ten-year market. Here are the ten changes that matter most, ranked, with what each means and who it affects.
Recykal Times Desk·30 Sept 2026·11 min read·18 sources
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Editorial image for “Top 10 Stories You Shouldn't Miss From September 2026”, illustrating pet.
Some months bring price swings. September 2026 brought rule changes, and those tend to last longer. We looked at everything that happened across metals, plastics, e-waste, batteries, glass and biomass, at home and abroad, and ranked the stories by one test: how much do they change the way Indian scrap businesses buy, sell or comply?
The ten stories at a glance
Europe's draft list leaves India out of EU metal scrap from May 2027.
India tightens scrap inspection rules and 15 inspection agencies lose recognition.
Oil crosses $100, pushing up new plastic as the 40% recycled rule hits halfway.
Copper swings to its 2026 high as US tariffs stall and India's industry asks for 5% GST.
The India-EU trade deal offers steel a bigger quota but no carbon tax relief.
The EPR portal for aluminium, copper and zinc is due on 1 October.
A biogas price is fixed until 2036 as Punjab's straw season begins.
China opens its recycled aluminium alloy futures to foreign investors.
Lithium slides and India's battery recyclers look to mines for feedstock.
India recommends an anti-dumping duty on Chinese borosilicate glassware.
Story
Where it started
Materials
Key date ahead
1. EU scrap list
International
Zinc, copper, aluminium, lead, steel
16 Oct 2026 (comments close)
2. Inspection rules
Domestic
All imported metal scrap
Ongoing
3. Oil and plastic
International and domestic
PET, PP, HDPE
31 Oct 2026 (processor returns, reported)
4. Copper and GST
International and domestic
Copper, brass
7 Oct 2026 (GST Council)
5. India-EU trade deal
International
Steel, ferrous scrap
Expected by end-2026
6. Non-ferrous EPR portal
Domestic
Aluminium, copper, zinc
1 Oct and 31 Oct 2026
7. Biogas and straw
Domestic
Paddy straw, pellets, biogas
1 Nov 2026 (kiln pellet rule)
8. China alloy futures
International
Aluminium scrap and alloy
Live from 28 Sep 2026
9. Lithium and batteries
International and domestic
Batteries, black mass, nickel
Ongoing
10. Glassware duty
Domestic
Glass
Finance Ministry decision pending
1. Europe's draft list leaves India out of EU metal scrap from May 2027
What changed. On 18 September, the European Commission released a draft naming the countries outside the OECD that can keep receiving EU waste after 21 May 2027. India was approved for several streams, including paper, rubber and textiles, but not for metal scrap. The Commission said India had not shown the scrap would be handled in an environmentally sound way. A week earlier, the EU had dropped a separate idea of a 15% export duty on aluminium scrap after India objected.
Why it matters. By the Material Recycling Association of India's (MRAI) figures, Europe supplies about 40% of India's imported zinc scrap and about a fifth of its copper, aluminium and lead scrap. MRAI called the move "resource protectionism" and asked the Commerce Ministry to act, and the ministry says it remains engaged with the EU. The list is still a draft.
Who it affects. Zinc and copper recyclers first, then aluminium and lead. Comments close on 16 October, and the first list is due by 21 November 2026.
2. India tightens scrap inspection rules and 15 inspection agencies lose recognition
What changed. Imported metal scrap needs a pre-shipment inspection certificate confirming it is free of explosives and radioactive material, unless it comes from an exempt country and lands at a named port. A Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notice on 16 September requires certificates within 2 days of inspection, uploaded from the country where the inspection happened. On 25 September, the withdrawal of recognition for 15 inspection agencies was reported, after DGFT found many certificates issued from a single instrument across countries.
Why it matters. Importers reported re-inspections and penalties at Mundra. At an MRAI event on 21 September, Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said industry demands would be considered on a fast-track basis, and MRAI wants checks moved to Indian ports.
Who it affects. Anyone importing scrap from outside the EU, US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which covers the Gulf, Africa and most of Asia. Story 1 makes this worse: if EU scrap stops, more imports will need these certificates.
3. Oil crosses $100, pushing up new plastic as the 40% recycled rule hits halfway
What changed. Brent crude went from $94.11 a barrel on 1 September to $104.46 on 28 September. Reliance and IVL Dhunseri raised virgin PET by ₹2 a kg from 24 September, and Reliance raised most general PP grades three times in the month, by about ₹7 a kg in total.
Why it matters. FY 2026-27 is the first year rigid plastic packaging must contain 40% recycled plastic, rising to 60% by FY 2028-29. When new plastic gets dearer, recycled plastic looks better value. Brands that skipped recycled plastic last year also have to clear at least a third of that shortfall this year, so for a brand that used none, the real target this year is 50%. (Our reading of the carry-forward rule for food-contact packaging.)
Who it affects. PET and PP collectors, bale suppliers and recyclers, who gain pricing power, and brand owners, whose cost of waiting rises.
4. Copper swings to its 2026 high as US tariffs stall and India's industry asks for 5% GST
What changed. On 10 September, reports said a planned US tariff on refined copper, 15% from January 2027, had stalled over affordability concerns, and copper fell more than 4% after the report. It then recovered to $14,797 a tonne on 22 September, its highest level of the year. In India, primary copper producers asked on 24 September for GST on copper products to be cut from 18% to 5%, and scrap recyclers asked for the same on metal scrap.
Why it matters. At late-September prices, 18% GST ties up roughly ₹2.5 lakh of cash for every tonne of copper, compared with about ₹70,000 at 5%. Dealers recover it later, but those buying from unregistered kabadiwalas must pay it in cash first. (Our estimate, based on the LME price and a rupee of about ₹96 to the dollar.)
Who it affects. Copper and brass dealers, cable makers and anyone holding stock. The GST Council meets on 7 October, and reports so far point to an agenda about processes, not rates.
5. The India-EU trade deal offers steel a bigger quota but no carbon tax relief
What changed. A draft text reported in mid-September would give Indian steel about 1.64 million tonnes a year of duty-free access to the EU: about 6.95 lakh tonnes of new quota on top of about 9.47 lakh tonnes under existing WTO quotas. That would cover about 68% of India's 2025 steel exports to the EU. Shipments above the quota would face a 50% tariff.
Why it matters. Indian steel would still pay the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a charge linked to the emissions behind imported goods. One Indian think tank estimates it could average about 35% of value once fully phased in. Steel made from scrap in electric furnaces generally has lower emissions than blast-furnace steel, which could matter as CBAM takes effect. The text is a draft and can still change, and the deal is expected to take effect by the end of 2026.
Who it affects. Steel exporters, electric and induction furnace mills, and suppliers of well-documented ferrous scrap.
6. The EPR portal for aluminium, copper and zinc is due on 1 October
What changed. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) rules for aluminium, copper and zinc products have applied since 1 April 2026, with a recycling target of 10% this year. The Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) portal for registering and trading certificates is due by 1 October 2026. As of 20 September it was reported to be not yet working, and no launch had been announced by 29 September.
Why it matters. First half-yearly returns are due on 31 October, but producers can't meet obligations without a working portal, and recyclers can't sell certificates. The rules allow the Centre to extend filing deadlines by up to 9 months.
Who it affects. Makers of cables, cans, appliances, utensils and other listed products, and non-ferrous recyclers who expect to earn from certificates.
7. A biogas price is fixed until 2036 as Punjab's straw season begins
What changed. In mid-September, the petroleum ministry issued GOBARdhan guidelines fixing the price of compressed biogas (CBG) at ₹2,110 per MMBTU, about ₹98 a kg, until March 2036, with buyers taking up to 100% of a plant's output. Punjab began monitoring farm fires on 15 September and announced 72 new straw pellet units on 28 September, though only 6 or 7 are expected to run by December.
Why it matters. Straw now has a long-term buyer in biogas plants. From 1 November 2026, brick kilns in Punjab and in Haryana outside the Delhi region must burn 30% straw pellets, up from 20%, which raises kiln demand for pellets by half. Punjab recorded 5,114 farm fires in 2025, down from 10,909 in 2024.
Who it affects. Farmers, balers, aggregators and pellet makers, who carry this season because most new plants arrive after the harvest.
8. China opens its recycled aluminium alloy futures to foreign investors
What changed. A Shanghai Futures Exchange circular dated 24 September opened cast aluminium alloy futures and options, along with alumina, butadiene rubber and offset paper contracts, to qualified foreign investors from 28 September 2026. Cast aluminium alloy is made largely from aluminium scrap, so this contract gives recycled aluminium its own traded price.
Why it matters. India relies heavily on imported aluminium scrap, so much of its price is set abroad. As foreign funds and traders start using the Shanghai contract, overseas scrap sellers may increasingly quote Indian buyers against it. The effect will be gradual, but it adds a new global reference price for recycled aluminium.
Who it affects. Aluminium scrap importers, secondary aluminium makers and die-casters, who may want to start tracking it.
9. Lithium slides and India's battery recyclers look to mines for feedstock
What changed. Lithium carbonate futures in China fell from 157,900 yuan a tonne on 1 September to 118,800 yuan on 29 September, a drop of about a quarter. On 22 September, Lohum's chief executive said the company makes about 1,000 tonnes of nickel a year from recycled material and wants 10,000 tonnes within 18 months, mainly by buying mines in Indonesia or the Philippines.
Why it matters. India's recycling capacity is growing faster than its supply of old batteries. Fifty-eight companies are eligible under the government's ₹1,500 crore recycling scheme, pledging about 8.5 lakh tonnes a year of capacity across e-waste, batteries and other scrap. When capacity outruns material, collectors gain bargaining power.
Who it affects. Battery and e-waste recyclers, black mass traders, collectors and kabadiwalas who handle old electronics.
10. India recommends an anti-dumping duty on Chinese borosilicate glassware
What changed. On 24 September, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies issued its final finding on borosilicate table and kitchen glassware from China, recommending, as reported, a duty of up to $1,526 a tonne. The Finance Ministry still has to decide whether to impose it.
Why it matters. More glass made in India means more factory scrap and more demand for clean cullet, the crushed recycled glass that furnaces melt. Separately, a solar glass maker put India's FY 2025-26 solar glass demand at about 11,000 tonnes a day against about 2,600 tonnes a day of domestic capacity, a gap that new plants aim to close.
Who it affects. Glass makers, cullet processors and glass traders.
Also on our radar
Plastics treaty talks met informally in Bangkok from 27 to 30 September. No outcome had been published by 29 September.
Vehicle scrapping: Eicher Trucks and Buses and Rosmerta Auto Recycling announced a scrapping tie-up for the Delhi region on 21 September.
Goa's deposit refund scheme for bottles and cans has been deferred to 1 April 2027.
Plastic EPR returns for FY 2025-26 are reportedly due by 31 October for processors and 31 December for producers and brand owners.
Dates to remember
1 October: EPR portal for aluminium, copper and zinc due.
7 October: GST Council meeting.
16 October: Comments close on the EU draft list.
31 October: First half-yearly EPR returns for aluminium, copper and zinc.
1 November: Brick kilns move to 30% straw pellets.
21 November: EU's first approved-country list due.
The bottom line
September's biggest stories were about access, not price. Access to European scrap, to faster customs clearance, to certificate markets and to buyers for straw all came with new conditions. The businesses best placed for October are the ones that can document where their material came from and prove how it was handled.
Discussion
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