As technology continues to advance rapidly, materials recovery is crucial for e-waste reduction. Recovering critical minerals found in electronics and preparing them for reuse helps reduce demand for new materials to be mined, saving time, energy, and costs. The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced four new funding opportunities to expand domestic production and recycling of critical minerals that will help boost critical mineral recovery.
Building on the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the new funding aims to scale US processing of rare earth elements and other materials essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and other critical technologies. This aligns with that legislation’s goals and advances the administration’s net-zero emissions targets.
“These initiatives are designed to create secure, resilient supply chains for the technologies that will define our energy future,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
Designed to help recyclers, manufacturers, and tech developers translate pilot projects into commercial operations, the new funding will target extracting critical minerals from e-scrap, building domestic refining plants, supporting R&D to reduce mineral demand, and workforce training, and regional initiatives to enhance supply chain knowledge. Universities, private firms, and public-private partnerships will be able to apply in the coming weeks.
Materials Recovery is a Crucial Step in the ITAD Process
As a core pillar of the ITAD industry, materials recovery is essential to e-waste reduction and resource preservation. Electronics contain valuable resources such as gold, copper, palladium, rare earths, and aluminum, which take energy and money to mine. Materials recovery through responsible IT asset disposition helps reduce demand for new materials and keeps assets in circulation by reusing them.
Materials recovery also creates a revenue stream. During the ITAD process, materials are separated into metals, plastics, and circuit boards, which are all sold into recycling markets. Asset redeployment helps maximize value in retired equipment, but when assets cannot be resold, recovered materials often help offset processing costs.
ITAD closes the loop, and materials recovery ensures nothing goes to waste. In a digital era, sustainable solutions are essential for e-waste management and reduction. Partnering with an ITAD provider for services such as repair and remarketing, and materials recovery will help boost environmental credibility, reduce e-waste, and maximize asset value.
HOBI is an R2v3, RIOS, ISO 14001, and NAID certified IT asset management and disposition provider with more than 30 years of industry experience. We offer a range of ITAD services designed to mitigate environmental liability and maximize asset value, including materials recovery.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.