Hard drives provide a key supply of magnets in the end-of-life consumer electronics stream. | Lifestyle and Wedding ph/Shutterstock
A U.S. rare earth recycling technology firm recently announced it has expanded its capabilities to recycle magnets, including those sourced from end-of-life consumer electronics. Continue Reading
If critical minerals become harder to source, the recycling industry could draw greater attention as a supply line. | Cybrain/Shutterstock
As trade strife between the U.S. and China heats up once again, the Chinese government has restricted exports of some key metals alongside retaliatory tariffs. Given China’s position as the world’s largest supplier of those metals, the move could spur more interest in U.S. recycling. Continue Reading
U.S.-based REEcycle includes a skid mounted drive disassembly system in its arsenal of tools for recovery rare earth elements from magnets. | Courtesy of REEcycle
Rare earth element recycler REEcycle received a $5.1 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense to advance its work in extracting elements critical to neodymium-iron-boron magnets — the key building blocks of renewable energy and national defense technologies. Continue Reading
Samsung Electronics launched a Circular Battery Supply Chain to recover and reuse cobalt. | MilsiArt/Shutterstock
Samsung Electronics is working to take cobalt from old Galaxy batteries and incorporate it into new batteries. Continue Reading
Many of the awarded companies are exploring new ways of recovering rare earth magnets from end-of-life electronics. | stuphipps/Shutterstock
The Department of Energy’s aptly named E-SCRAP prize program has awarded funds to companies engaged in hard drive disassembly, rare earth magnet recovery, hydrometallurgy and e-plastics recycling. More companies are invited to apply this year. Continue Reading
A crucial early step after deciding to incorporate a shredder is to determine what materials a company wants to shred. | Big Wave Productions/Resource Recycling
Evolving technology in electronics shredding can help make value recovery more efficient and profitable, but there are several considerations companies must factor in before investing in new equipment, panelists said at the recent E-Scrap Conference. Continue Reading
The U.S. expanded export restrictions to China of chip-making equipment and sanctioned 140 companies, the latest moves in a back-and-forth series of export restrictions. | MOLPIX/Shutterstock
As technology trade tensions between China and the U.S. escalate, bans on trading minerals used in producing LED screens, semiconductors, chips and batteries are again putting the recycling sector in the spotlight. Continue Reading
Korea Zinc shareholder Young Poong and private equity firm MBK Partners submitted an unexpected and “uninvited” bid to purchase a majority stake in Korea Zinc in September, which management has been fighting. | Pavel Kapysh/Shutterstock
The power struggle between South Korean smelting company Korea Zinc and a private equity firm that wants to seize control of the company is continuing, with both using press conferences and statements to publicly attack the other’s business decisions. Continue Reading
Glencore will refine the recovered copper at its Horne smelter in Quebec and its Canadian refinery. | PitukTV/Shutterstock
Metals and rare earth processor Cyclic Materials will send copper from e-scrap, batteries and electric motors to Canada’s Glencore for refining. Continue Reading
The Texas facility will use solvents to recover copper, gold and more from dissolved circuit boards, providing an alternative to traditional smelting. | Photo courtesy Mint Innovation
Mint Innovation, an Australian company that is scaling up a hydrometallurgical technology to recover precious metals from e-scrap, this week began construction on a $20 million refinery in Texas capable of processing nearly 9 million pounds per year of printed circuit boards. Continue Reading