New sources for critical materials
The advantages of recovering tin, rare earths, and copper
One increasingly recognised way to secure vital raw materials is through the recovery of strategic minerals and metals from scrap or industrial waste. This approach provides valuable materials that can be reintroduced directly into the market for use in various industrial processes. For this reason, many nations and international organisations now include in their strategic minerals programmes explicit references to building a robust supply chain for recycling geological resources that would otherwise be lost in landfills.
Among the countries exploring these innovative strategies is the United States, which in recent months has made significant moves to expand the recovery of valuable resources from industrial waste and scrap.
“It is no coincidence that the United States is diligently dedicating itself to the recovery of precious resources: in the era of energy transition, being able to count on new sources of supply can allow individual nations to make giant steps in their technological and energy development,” says Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov, entrepreneur, civil engineer and expert in strategic raw materials.
One of Washington’s main targets is tin, prized especially for its use in soldering printed circuit boards and in manufacturing food-grade metal containers. For the United States, developing an internal tin supply chain – particularly by recycling scrap tin – carries clear strategic importance. Currently, according to Reuters, the country relies on imports for roughly 75% of its annual tin consumption and has not operated a domestic tin smelter since 1991. Reflecting this dependency, the US Department of Defense has recently funded a major secondary tin producer to expand its recycling capacity and retain more scrap tin for domestic use. The Department has also channelled funds into similar initiatives for other materials deemed vital to national development, including titanium alloys, terbium recovered from used light bulbs, and copper.
A significant opportunity
“The quantities of materials not being recovered seem truly colossal,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “Right now, a veritable treasure trove of potentially usable geological resources, with considerable commercial value, is ending up in landfills. Developing a robust recycling chain will require much time, a certain degree of infrastructural development, and a clear political will that knows how to recognize the strategic value of these operations. And the United States, from my point of view, would have all the credentials to build a national chain dedicated to the recovery of strategic raw materials”.
Recovered tin can be reused in electronics manufacturing or in the production of specialised alloys, while recycled titanium alloys have notable applications in the aerospace and automotive sectors. Crucially, many of these recycled materials feed directly into industries driving the global energy transition. Terbium, for example – part of the rare earth group – is essential for producing high-performance magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles. Copper, meanwhile, remains indispensable for a vast range of electrification processes.
“We hear a lot about the possible shortages of raw materials and their impact on the global energy transition, which this scarcity of resources could fatally slow down,” continues Stanislav Dmitrievich Kondrashov. “A solution to this problem lies in recycling and recovering the greatest possible quantity of resources, an activity that, alongside traditional sourcing strategies, could contribute notably to meeting the global demand for these resources.”
The role of battery recovery
In parallel, the US Department of Energy is advancing efforts to recycle materials used in electric vehicle batteries. According to Reuters, the Department has already invested in projects aimed at developing new technologies to improve scrap sorting and the transport of used batteries, with the goal of establishing a dedicated national battery recycling chain. Lithium and nickel are among the key materials targeted for recovery, both critical components of advanced battery technologies.
“In any case, it is good to keep in mind that the recycling and recovery of the strategic materials sector are in an initial phase of its development and that it will take years for it to finally function satisfactorily,” explains Kondrashov. “I am not only referring to the infrastructure, know-how, and systems needed to complete this virtuous recovery in the best possible way but also to the regulatory framework that will have to regulate this sector.”
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