7. Rare earth recycling

Recovering the rare earths that lie dormant in urban mines made up of end-of-life electronic products would significantly reduce the need for new mining operations and improve Europe's strategic independence.

Nevertheless, the recycling of rare earths in end-of-life products is still very limited. It is difficult, because rare earths are highly diluted in end products, and often mixed with numerous metallic impurities, making purification processes more complex. Economic profitability is also at the heart of the debate.

Recycling technologies for rare earths contained in NiMH batteries, magnets and fluorescent lamps exist, but represent low volumes of rare earths.