Urban Mining: A Potential Solution to US Critical Mineral Dependence

The United States' reliance on imported critical minerals is a growing concern. In 2024, the country was 100% reliant on imports for certain key metals, a vulnerability highlighted in a recent video by Planet A. The video proposes urban mining as a solution, a process that extracts critical minerals from electronic waste. While promising, the video notes that current US collection rates are below 50%, resulting in an estimated $800 million in wasted resources annually. Planet A states, "The US is terrible at developing urban mining." New technologies like bioleaching and electrochemical separation could significantly improve the efficiency of urban mining, potentially reducing global mining needs by 25-40%. This offers a significant opportunity for the US to enhance its resource security and reduce its environmental impact. The low collection rates however, present a challenge that needs to be addressed to fully realize the potential of urban mining.