Critical Minerals Recovery & Recycling
Strengthening U.S. Supply Chain ResiliencE
Today, the security and resilience of the nation’s supply chain is more important than ever. REMADE® and its members are developing advanced technologies capable of recovering and recycling critical and key materials for U.S. manufacturing, including a wide range of critical minerals and rare earth elements. These include (but are not limited to): aluminum, copper, lead, lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, palladium (a platinum group metal), silicon, silver, and tin, as well as rare earth elements.
Critical minerals and REEs are used to power major sectors of the U.S. economy and national security, including aerospace, communications, defense, healthcare, electronics, technology, and more.
Did You Know?
Recycling is indispensable to the security and sustainability of critical minerals
Recycling reduces new mine development needs by 40% for copper and cobalt, and by 25% for lithium and nickel by 2050. The market value of recycled energy transition minerals [is projected to grow] fivefold, reaching $200 billion by 2050.
Our Goals
Increase the recovery rate of critical minerals* to support their domestic production and reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions.
Develop collection strategies to maximize the recovery of critical minerals from end-of-life products.
Develop software tools that help designers identify ways to facilitate remanufacturing and increase recovery of critical minerals.
Leverage artificial intelligence tools to improve sorting and recovery of critical minerals.
* Critical minerals, as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy, include
- Any nonfuel mineral, element, substance, or material that DOE determines:
- Has high risk for supply chain disruption; and
- Serves an essential function in one or more energy technologies, including technologies that produce, transmit, store, and conserve energy; or
- A critical mineral [as designated by the U.S. Department of the Interior] (USGS, 2025).
Aluminum
