Apple has partnered with MP Materials on a $500 million commitment to use U.S.-made rare earth magnets. The initiative will expand domestic recycling and refining capabilities.

MP Materials plans to recycle end-of-life and other magnet materials at its Mountain Pass refinery to produce separated oxides. These oxides will be transported to the company's factory in Texas to manufacture magnets for Apple. MP Materials operates the only active rare earth mine in the United States, located in Mountain Pass, California.

Rare earths are a group of 17 metallic elements on the periodic table. China has built up its rare earths industry and cornered the market on these materials in recent decades. One F-35 fighter jet contains about 100 pounds of rare earths.

Professor Julie Klinger stated that less than one percent of consumed rare earths are currently recycled. "That means we've been accumulating rare earths in our waste for decades," Klinger said. She added, "I think that we don't need to dig new holes in the ground to get the material that we need because it's all around us, currently misrecognized as waste."

Matt Sloustcher, a representative of MP Materials, said, "There's not a day that goes by where you don't interact with rare earth magnetics." Apple has also developed a robot named Daisy, which disassembles iPhones to recover materials.

Why It Matters

The collaboration between Apple and MP Materials represents an effort to establish a domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets, which are critical components in various modern technologies, from consumer electronics to defense applications. China's established position in the global rare earths market has prompted efforts to increase domestic production and recycling capabilities in the United States. Expanding recycling infrastructure could reduce reliance on new mining operations and address the accumulation of rare earths in waste streams.