RE: A few little steps forward and....17 Apr 2026 18:21
"What a more sustainable path could look like
The cleanest ton of rare earths is the one you do not have to mine, and that brings recycling into the spotlight. The USGS says only limited quantities of rare earths are recovered from batteries, permanent magnets, and fluorescent lamps, and the IEA has warned that magnet recycling pathways have historically been limited.
Design also matters. When magnets are glued deep inside motors or hard-to-open devices, the economics of recovery fall apart, and those old phones sitting in a kitchen drawer stay “waste” instead of becoming feedstock. More take-back programs, easier disassembly, and scaling up recycling technology would all reduce the pressure to open new mines."