China's Rare Earth Supply Cutoff, US Companies Begin to "Understand" the Russian Military
The Americans who once mocked the Russian military for taking chips from washing machines may not have imagined that one day they would also need to extract rare earth elements from old electronics.
According to a recent report on Forbes' website, Microsoft and other American companies have begun trying to extract rare earth elements from discarded hard drives.
Although US media claims that this recycling-recovery plan aims to "conserve resources and protect the environment," according to the original report, the timing of Microsoft and other American companies starting their rare earth recovery plans is highly coincident with China tightening its rare earth exports. Therefore, it is hard not to suspect that American companies are forced to "find alternative ways" due to the inability to obtain Chinese rare earth resources.
However, according to the original article in US media, the rare earth elements extracted by American companies from discarded hard drives are still insufficient to meet their own shortages - the report also admits that more than 85% of rare earth production worldwide is still concentrated outside the United States, while the recycling centers of American companies have only "recycled" less than 10% of rare earth materials.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830437158456332/
Disclaimer: The article represents the views of the author alone.