{
  "id": 13987175,
  "title": "America's Critical Minerals May Be Hiding in Its Electronic Waste | Opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/americas-critical-minerals-may-be-hiding-in-its-electronic-waste",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-12T15:12:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/america-critical-minerals-may-be-hiding-in-electronic-waste-opinion-12554732"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For years, technology was often classified into political categories. Solar energy was considered \"green,\" while nuclear energy was either controversial or essential depending on the decade. Recycling was seen as an environmental issue, critical minerals as a mining issue, and energy independence as a national security concern. Artificial intelligence was viewed as a technology issue. However, a significant shift is occurring in America, blurring these distinctions. Both Republicans and Democrats are now discussing solar manufacturing, nuclear power, critical minerals, domestic recycling, critical-mineral recovery, energy resilience, advanced technology, and domestic supply chains. They recognize that America's innovation, manufacturing, and energy capabilities will determine whether the nation leads or becomes dependent on other countries. This makes the future of American technology a shared concern, not a partisan one. The author has spent over two decades in electronics recycling. In 2002, when ERI was co-founded, electronic waste was not a national security issue. Few people talked about \"urban mining,\" and even fewer understood that discarded electronics contained materials crucial for America's economy and defense. Today, smartphones, computers, servers, office equipment, televisions, batteries, data centers, and other electronic devices contain materials like copper, aluminum, gold, lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. These are essential to modern America's technologies. Many of these materials already exist within our nation as discarded electronics. Urban mining, the process of extracting value from existing materials, is becoming increasingly important, not just environmentally but economically, technologically, and nationally. Both parties are recognizing this as an opportunity. Senator Mazie Hirono, a Democrat, and her push for a Defense Department program to recycle strategic and critical minerals illustrate this. Republicans, on the other hand, have pushed for domestic production and processing of these minerals to reduce dependence on foreign countries, particularly China. The administration has also restricted exports of recoverable critical-material waste streams to increase domestic processing. This bipartisan recognition of the importance of urban mining signals a shift in priorities - from traditional mining to extracting value from existing materials. In the U.S., recycling technologies could help reduce reliance on imported critical minerals, with battery recycling potentially reducing import dependence within two to three years. This immediate, cost-effective approach contrasts with the lengthy process of extracting virgin materials from mines. ERI, for example, operates eight facilities across the U.S. and processes over one million pounds of electronics daily. These discarded items may seem like waste, but they are actually valuable resources waiting to be utilized. The author argues that recycling today should not be viewed solely as an environmental issue. It is also an opportunity to ensure national security, create jobs, and maintain America's technological edge. The decision to recycle should not be seen as a purely partisan issue, but as a shared responsibility to protect America's interests.",
  "summary": "John Shegerian argues electronics recycling could strengthen critical-mineral supply chains, manufacturing and national security.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}