Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Jun 3)

BT Group could recover up to 200,000 tonnes of copper as Openreach retires the UK’s legacy copper telecom network and shifts customers to full fibre. More than 22,000 tonnes have already been recovered since 2023, including a record 9,147 tonnes in the latest financial year. BT has a recycling arrangement with EMR, returning recovered copper cable into the global supply chain. The programme could become a meaningful source of secondary copper as legacy telecom networks are progressively decommissioned.

The U.S. Copper Development Association has released new guidance for recycled copper content reporting and climate-aligned procurement, aimed at OEMs, procurement teams, certifiers and auditors. The framework clarifies the treatment of pre- and post-consumer scrap and internal production loops, while stressing that recycled-content targets must account for the physical availability of copper scrap. CDA notes that simply raising recycled-content requirements can redirect existing scrap flows rather than necessarily increasing overall copper recycling.

Konkola Copper Mines reported that copper production reached around 10,000 tonnes in July, indicating continued progress in its operational recovery. KCM is targeting annual copper production of approximately 300,000 tonnes within three years, supported by mine development, processing improvements and the Konkola Deep Mining Project. The latest monthly output provides a fresh indication that KCM’s production ramp-up is gaining momentum following the restart of the Chingola B mine earlier this year.