WFYI describes at U.S. Department of Energy test for a new way to recycle rare earth minerals from consumer electronics in Indianapolis.
RecycleForce is the first test site in the country for a recycling method experts hope will be able to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign materials.
Currently, the rare earth minerals found in hard drives, cell phones and other consumer electronics don’t get recycled, often ending up in landfills.
Ikenna Nlebedim, a research scientist with the Ames National Laboratory, said they hope to change that.
“What we need to do is to look for a way to strengthen our supply chain, and that is really what we are trying to do here,” he said.
See the full story: Indianapolis' RecycleForce at forefront of U.S. Department of Energy program to recycle rare earth minerals