Leading US material resource recovery, tech re-use and recycling company ERI has signed a global strategic partnership agreement with Ontario-based rare earths recycling company Cyclic Materials to build circular supply infrastructure for rare earths and other critical minerals in the US.

The partnership aims to form one of the largest rare earth recovery ecosystems in the US by combining ERI's countrywide collection network with Cyclic's commercial recovery and refining technologies to process high volumes of magnet-containing products.

The companies aim to work across multiple product categories to create one of the largest commercial rare earth recycling feedstock portfolios in North America.

"End-of-life electronics represent one of the largest untapped sources of rare earths and critical minerals in the world, yet many of these products are often discarded, and thus the critical materials within them are lost to waste streams.

"Unlike traditional mining, recovering rare earths from products already in circulation is becoming the most realistic approach to solving the supply chain constraints with speed and on shore. Cyclic Materials’ rare earth recycling will provide a domestic supply of rare earths that supports the robust manufacturing sector, increases national security, and enables growth across AI, defence, automotive and other major industries," says Cyclic CEO and founder Ahmad Ghahreman.

ERI, in turn, which recycles more than one-million pounds of electronic waste every day, will leverage its global collection network and eight US-based recycling centres to pre-process and send materials containing rare earth magnets and other critical materials to Cyclic for rare earth recovery.

The companies have begun conducting sample analysis to qualify products for rare earth recycling, and have so far identified multiple high volume product categories that will be sent to Cyclic.

Additionally, Cyclic will recover other critical materials such as copper and aluminium in its process.

Feedstock will be sent primarily to Cyclic's Arizona operations, where the company has a facility capable of processing up to 25 000 t/y of end-of-life components in the US.

Under the partnership, Cyclic and ERI will also jointly pursue tenders for recycling and recovery of critical materials, as well as other commercial and government opportunities that support the development of circular supply chains for critical materials in the US

“As one of the world’s largest electronics recyclers, ERI processes an immense volume of products every year, and this partnership will transform that volume into an impactful supply of rare earths for the US," Ghahreman states.

He adds that together with ERI, Cyclic is creating a new supply of rare earths by unlocking materials already in circulation and recirculating them into the supply chain, which derisks foreign trade tensions, increases supply chain resilience, and strengthens national security.

ERI chairperson and CEO John Shegerian notes the partnership between the companies can enable new levels of efficiency to close the loop on critical minerals.

“Cyclic’s innovative technology and facility provide commercial capabilities that make the circularity of heavy rare earth elements (REEs) more accessible than ever before. Together we will be able to make a tremendous impact.

"It's also a great privilege to be working alongside Ghahreman, who brings a complete perspective on critical elements and is truly one of the greatest known authorities on mining in the world today," Shegerian adds.

Through advanced, proprietary, AI-driven software and hardware solutions, ERI is able to identify and access material with magnets and REEs at a distinct purity level, which enables Cyclic to then recover the critical REEs.

As governments increasingly prioritise domestic supply chain security, and demand for REEs continues to accelerate globally, Cyclic is rapidly expanding its global footprint to support the domestic infrastructure for critical material recovery across North America, Europe, and Asia.