The Richest Mine in America Is a Landfill

The United States is spending tens of billions to acquire the very same critical minerals that we throw away every day. 

Last week, the White House announced Project Vault: a stockpiling initiative that puts up $10B in EXIM financing plus $2B in private capital to stockpile dozens of critical minerals as a hedge against Chinese supply disruption. For its part, the DOE is earmarking nearly $1B for projects across the critical minerals value chain, including some focused on “unconventional sources” such as waste streams and recycling.

This is the most aggressive domestic critical mineral push in recent memory. It’s overdue, and it’s a big step in the right direction. We’re very glad it exists. Still, we can’t help but wonder if we as a nation are overlooking a potent lever from the unlikeliest of places: our trash cans. 

Across announcements and strategic plans that have been released in recent weeks and months, recycling remains a small, scattered line item, especially when sized up against the scale and spend of the stockpiling program. 
So, today’s question: Why is recycling a rounding error in our strategy to break the critical mineral chokehold?

Article by Jeff Crusey & Ryan Duffy. Read the full piece here.