Kunal Sinha, Global Head of Recycling at Glencore

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Nov 13, 2023

In this podcast, Kunal Sinha, the Global Head of Recycling at Glencore, discusses the company's role in the energy transition and climate change. They delve into Glencore's mining and metals activities, including the extraction of key metals needed for an electrified future. They also highlight the importance of natural resource circularity and responsible production. Topics covered include sulfuric acid applications, recycled plastics and metals, copper production, recycling battery metals for EVs, and evolving labor practices in the industry.

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ANECDOTE

Kunal's Unique Career Journey

Kunal Sinha transitioned from robotics and consulting to Glencore via an internship and MBA.
He found the commodity trading sector fascinating due to its global impact and complexity.

INSIGHT

Sulfuric Acid's Industrial Role

Sulfuric acid is a crucial industrial chemical and a byproduct of metal extraction.
Capturing sulfur dioxide emissions transforms a pollutant into valuable sulfuric acid, supporting sustainability.

INSIGHT

Recycling Complements Mining

Recycling and primary mining feed harmoniously complement each other.
Recycling feeds typically have higher grades, improving smelter efficiency and profitability.

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Kunal Sinha is the Global Head of Recycling at Glencore. Glencore ranked number 21 on the Fortune Global 500 in 2023. As one of the world's largest commodities trader and one of the world's largest natural resource companies, they have a very substantial role in the energy transition and in climate change. Over one-third of Glencore's 2022 revenue came from coal, so from a climate perspective, the company has a substantial impact. Today, they also have a significant oil and gas business.

In Cody’s conversation with Kunal, we touched a bit on that, but we focus mostly on Glencore's mining and metals activities. This piece is part of what makes Glencore unique from most energy companies when it comes to the energy transition. Yes, it's in the business of fossil fuels, but it's also deeply in the business of extracting and processing a majority of key metals that will help us transition to an electrified future.

In his role as Global Head of Recycling, Kunal not only works to understand how Glencore's primary mining business operates but also is driving its initiatives around circularity and reuse. Mining has a reputation as a dirty business, and Glencore has had its share of environmental issues and controversies in the past. We appreciate Kunal for not shying away from these challenges and also helping us understand the important role that mining and Glencore have to play in the future and the importance of natural resource circularity as part of it.

In this episode, we cover:

[3:02] Kunal's background and experience
[7:43] His work with sulfuric acid at Glencore
[13:54] An overview of Glencore and its recycling business
[25:03] Glencore's collaboration and partnership with startups
[29:49] An overview of Glencore's copper production and recycling
[37:26] An overview of Glencore's process for cobalt
[42:27] Kunal's predictions for recycled battery metals in EVs
[52:27] An overview of battery passports and Glencore's commitment to high ethical social governance standards
[1:01:13] Call for startups and mature companies to collaborate with Glencore in driving circularity

Get connected:

Kunal Sinha LinkedIn
Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective / Instagram

*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on Sept 27, 2023 (Published on Nov 13, 2023)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant