Rare earth elements (REEs) have taken center stage this year as tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and surging demand reshape global markets. These elements are essential for the automotive industry, as well as data centers, MRIs, wind turbines, and more, yet less than 1% of rare earths are recycled today.

Without circular infrastructure, the magnetics sector faces escalating cost, sustainability, and security risks. Traditional mining of REEs is often resource-intensive, environmentally destructive, leads to high levels of water stress, and linked to poor labor conditions. According to the University of Pennsylvania Center for Energy Policy, one ton of radioactive waste is produced for every ton of REEs mined. Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy estimates that demand for rare earth magnets will more than quadruple by 2050. With demand surging, China controlling most of the global supply, and mining posing significant environmental harm, REE recycling is emerging as a critical path forward.

Cyclic Materials is the only advanced recycling company that simplifies the recovery of REEs and critical materials from end-of-life products. They cater to metal buyers and feedstock companies across several industries, including electric vehicles, providing a circular supply chain that matches the quality and price of traditional mining without the associated environmental impact. Establishing a domestic supply chain for REEs is especially valuable for the automotive industry’s electrification.

Cyclic Materials’ innovative process offers an alternative by producing enough materials to reduce pressure on mining sources, while recovering useful components from end-of-life EVs and hybrid motors. In the automotive space, Cyclic Materials recently announced a partnership with Lime to recover REEs from decommissioned motors from vehicles in Lime’s U.S. and Canadian markets, helping them meet their 2030 net-zero goals. The agreement marks the first at-scale recycling initiative focused on rare earth magnets in North America in the micromobility sector.

In this session, Cyclic Materials Director of OEM Partnerships, Karl Meira, will discuss:

● How REE recycling addresses key issues such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and supply chain stability and security, while strengthening the future of the automotive industry.

● Cyclic Material’s work with Lime Micromobility and plans for expansion in the mobility sector.

● How Cyclic Materials’ technology recovers useful components from end-of-life EVs and hybrid motors.

● Efforts to scale recycling infrastructure and establish end-to-end traceability in the automotive industry.

● The partnerships being forged across the automotive, energy, and electronics sectors to build a commercially viable recycling infrastructure.