Environment

Recycling rare earth elements is hard. Science is trying to make it easier

a pile of hard disk drives on a white background

Recycling rare earth elements from existing high-tech products, like hard disk drives, might help meet demand for these valuable metals.

JORG GREUEL/PHOTODISC/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

By Erin Wayman

Our modern lives depend on rare earth elements, and someday soon we may not have enough to meet growing demand.

Because of their special properties, these 17 metallic elements are crucial ingredients in computer screens, cell phones and other electronics, compact fluorescent lamps, medical imaging machines, lasers, fiber optics, pigments, polishing powders, industrial catalysts – the list goes on and on (SN Online: 1/16/23).