Submission + - Tariffs May Finally Make Recycling Rare Earth Elements Pay Off (networkworld.com)
itwbennett writes: Computerworld reports that Western Digital and Microsoft are testing ways to recover precious materials from old servers. “A new advanced sorting ecosystem with an eco-friendly non-acid process not only recaptures essential rare earth elements but also extracts metals like gold, copper, aluminum, and steel, feeding them back into the US supply chain,” Western Digital said in a statement. This part isn't new. What's new is the math. Thanks to Trump's tariff war and 'moves by China to halt the export of bismuth, which might hold the key to future faster and more efficient semiconductors,' the few dollars' worth of materials in one server might be enough ROI to make it worthwhile. Gartner analyst Autumn Stanish is positive about the Western Digital news, but advises caution. 'This seems, based on the public information, far from the volume and scale to achieve the independence and carbon savings potential presented,' she said.
Tariffs May Finally Make Recycling Rare Earth Elements Pay Off More Login
Tariffs May Finally Make Recycling Rare Earth Elements Pay Off
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