Data mining? Old servers could become new source of rare earths

"Korea Zinc, which it described as one of the world's largest smelters, is in talks with major US technology firms to recycle data center waste and extract rare earth. The move comes almost one year to the day after China announced immediate export controls on seven more rare earth elements critical to enterprise IT hardware manufacturing."

"According to Reuters, the Korea Zinc initiative will give the US another rare earth source beyond its main supplier, China, which produces about 90% of the world's rare earths, and the single US-based mine run by MP Materials."

"Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst at Greyhound Research, said that the Korea Zinc initiative reflects a structural shift that is beginning to take shape inside the global technology infrastructure economy. For decades, the retirement of data center equipment was treated almost entirely as a compliance and disposal issue."

Korea Zinc, a major global smelter, is negotiating with US technology companies to recycle data center waste and extract rare earth elements. This initiative follows China's export restrictions on seven critical rare earth elements essential for IT hardware manufacturing. The move provides the US with an alternative rare earth source beyond China, which produces approximately 90% of global rare earths, and MP Materials' single US-based mine. Previously, data center equipment retirement was treated primarily as a compliance and disposal expense. This shift represents a structural transformation in the global technology infrastructure economy, converting obsolete server equipment from a costly recycling burden into a potential revenue-generating opportunity for enterprises.

Read at Computerworld