ERI and Cyclic Materials Partner to Expand Rare Earth Recovery from Electronic Waste

ERI and rare earth recycling company Cyclic Materials have signed a global strategic partnership to recover rare earth elements and other critical minerals from end-of-life electronics. The companies said the collaboration is expected to establish one of the largest rare earth recycling ecosystems in the United States by combining ERI’s nationwide electronics collection network with Cyclic Materials’ commercial recovery and refining technologies.

The partnership will initially focus on processing high-volume products containing permanent magnets, creating a large feedstock portfolio for rare earth recycling in North America. The companies said the collaboration is intended to strengthen domestic supplies of critical materials used in sectors including artificial intelligence, defense, automotive manufacturing and advanced technologies.

Electronic waste is considered an increasingly important secondary source of rare earth elements, many of which are currently lost when products reach the end of their service life. By recovering these materials from existing products rather than relying solely on primary mining, the partners aim to improve supply chain resilience while supporting the development of a circular economy for critical minerals.

Under the agreement, ERI will use its global collection network and eight U.S. electronics recycling facilities to identify, dismantle and pre-process products containing rare earth magnets before supplying the materials to Cyclic Materials for recovery. The companies have already begun evaluating product samples and have identified several high-volume product categories suitable for commercial recycling.

In addition to recovering rare earth elements, Cyclic Materials’ process will also extract other valuable metals, including copper and aluminum. Most of the feedstock will be processed at the company’s Arizona facility, which has the capacity to treat up to 25,000 tonnes of end-of-life components annually.

Beyond material processing, the companies said they will jointly pursue commercial contracts and government opportunities related to the recovery of critical materials and the development of domestic circular supply chains in the United States.

“As one of the world’s largest electronics recyclers, ERI processes an immense volume of products annually, and this partnership will transform that volume into an impactful supply of rare earths for the U.S.,” said Ahmad Ghahreman, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cyclic Materials. He said recovering materials already in circulation can reduce supply chain risks associated with international trade while strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity.

ERI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Shegerian said the partnership combines large-scale electronics collection with advanced recovery technology to improve the commercial recovery of critical minerals.

“Cyclic’s innovative technology and state-of-the-art facility provide commercial capabilities that make the circularity of heavy rare earth elements more accessible than ever before,” Shegerian said.

ERI said its proprietary AI-enabled software and hardware systems help identify products containing rare earth magnets with high precision, improving feedstock quality before materials are transferred for processing. Cyclic Materials is continuing to expand its recycling infrastructure across North America, Europe and Asia as governments and manufacturers increase efforts to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals.

Source: Business Wire

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The partnership reflects growing investment in recovering rare earth elements from electronic waste as industries seek to strengthen domestic critical mineral supply chains and reduce reliance on primary mining.