Recycling and Circularity for Critical Minerals
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Recycling supplies very different shares of different critical minerals. Nickel recovered from scrap was about 60% of US apparent nickel consumption in 2025 and purchased cobalt scrap was 25% of estimated US cobalt use, according to the US Geological Survey, while rare earths are recycled at a global rate below 1%, according to SMM. The difference follows the product: stainless steel and superalloy scrap is easy to collect and sort, while rare earths sit in small magnets and devices. New rules in the EU and the US are intended to raise the shares.
about 60%
of US apparent nickel consumption in 2025 came from nickel recovered from scrap
25%
of estimated US cobalt consumption in 2025 was purchased scrap
20,000-25,000 kg
estimated global secondary rhenium production in 2025, against world production of 81,000 kg
How much of each critical mineral is recycled?
The table sets out what the USGS 2026 summaries say about recycling for ten minerals. Quantities are not reported for several, and the table says so.
| Mineral | What is recycled | What the USGS reports |
|---|---|---|
| Nickel | Stainless steel and alloy scrap | Nickel recovered from scrap was about 60% of apparent US consumption (USGS) |
| Cobalt | Superalloy and other scrap | Cobalt content of purchased scrap was 25% of estimated US consumption (USGS) |
| Rhenium | Nickel-base superalloy scrap, turbine blades and spent catalysts | Catalysts recycled in a closed loop; recyclers need prices consistently above $3,000 per kilogram, and the 2025 metal pellet price averaged $2,600 (USGS) |
| Lithium | Batteries | Construction of lithium battery recycling plants continued through 2025 and automakers partnered with recyclers; no quantity reported (USGS) |
| Graphite | Refractories and some products | The abundance of graphite on the world market inhibits recycling; no quantity available (USGS) |
| Germanium | Infrared optics machining scrap, optical fibre waste, solar wafers and decommissioned military optics | Capability exists but information was inadequate to estimate the amount recycled (USGS) |
| Gallium | New scrap from gallium arsenide device manufacturing | Old scrap: none; new scrap reprocessed at one facility in New York (USGS) |
| Indium | Indium tin oxide scrap in Japan and the Republic of Korea | No readily available recycling data (USGS) |
| Titanium | Titanium scrap metal | US imports of titanium scrap were an estimated 32,000 t; consumption data withheld (USGS) |
| Rare earths | Magnets, batteries and fluorescent lamps | Limited quantities recovered (USGS); SMM puts the global rate below 1% (SMM) |
Why do recycling rates differ so much?
Recycling rates differ because the scrap differs. Stainless steel and superalloy parts are large, sorted and valuable enough to collect, so nickel, cobalt and rhenium already have established scrap markets. Rhenium shows the price effect: the USGS says industry sources told it that recyclers need prices consistently above $3,000 per kilogram to offset processing costs, and that higher prices were making recycling of rhenium-bearing superalloys more attractive. Rare earths and gallium sit in small quantities in consumer devices, and the USGS reports no old gallium scrap recycled at all. The rare earth case is on the rare earth recycling page and magnet recycling economics.
Which rules push recycling?
- EU benchmark. By 2030 EU recycling capacity should be able to produce at least 25% of annual consumption of strategic raw materials, and recycle significantly increasing amounts of each from waste (Regulation 2024/1252, Article 5).
- Magnet recycled content. From 24 May 2027, or two years after the delegated act on calculation rules if later, products with magnets above 0.2 kg must publish the recycled share of key rare earths; minimum shares are to be set by 31 December 2031 (Article 29).
- US defense rule. 10 U.S.C. 4872 exempts recycled magnets milled and sintered in the US and recycled tantalum, tungsten and molybdenum melted and processed in the US or a qualifying ally, which gives recycled material a route into defense supply.
- Finance. The Department of War lent $80 million to a recycler in Indiana in 2025, according to the USGS.
Frequently asked questions
Which critical minerals are recycled the most?
Nickel and cobalt are among the most recycled critical minerals. Nickel recovered from scrap was about 60% of US apparent consumption in 2025 and purchased cobalt scrap was 25% of estimated US cobalt consumption, according to the USGS.
Why are rare earths hardly recycled?
Rare earths are hardly recycled because they sit in small magnets and devices that are hard to collect and take apart. SMM put the global recycling rate below 1% in August 2026, and the USGS reports only limited quantities recovered.
What does the EU require for recycling of critical raw materials?
The EU requires that, by 2030, recycling capacity can produce at least 25% of annual consumption of strategic raw materials, and from 24 May 2027 it requires disclosure of the recycled share of key rare earths in products with large magnets.
Is lithium battery recycling happening yet?
Lithium battery recycling is growing but the USGS reports no quantity. It says construction of battery recycling plants continued throughout 2025 and that automakers partnered with recyclers to supply battery materials.
Sources
Read on October 12, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
