I am trying to apply a value-based circularity assessment method and it requires knowledge of raw materials price histories, yet most I have found are sold by consultants in the field. Aren't there some public access databases?
Organizations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Central Intelligence Agency all take a global view of pricing data. Each of these three organizations hold vast amounts of data on all aspects of trade, both by market sector and by country.
Bear in mind that commodities are traded on a number of specialized markets throughout the globe, and you will generally have free access to data direct from each commodity market. It really depends on what you are looking for as to which data source you should choose.
Start by looking at the big three sources to get your head around how the systems work, then drill down from there until you get what you need. There is plenty of free data access available without having to pay consultants who will be providing you with the same data from the free sources.