Much like gold strip mining in sub-Saharan Africa, or silver mining in the heyday of Argentine exploitation, the Chinese market for rare earth metals is causing the same destructive damage to the planet as its predecessors. Unsustainable exploration remains rampant in Chinese mining communities, with profit and progress before environmental concerns are the call of the day. Highly toxic separation processes continue to be utilized in the extraction process, no matter the environmental consequences.
China issues Cleaner Production Technology Promotion Plan
Recently, Beijing announced an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of extracting rare earth metals with the unveiling of the Cleaner Production Technology Promotion Plan for the Rare Earth Industry, a staggering attempt to reduce waste disguised as improving the environmental impact of mining.
The basic breakdown is that the government of China is recommending that extractors reduce the consumption of NaOH and replace it with H2SO4 as a swap for HC1 sulfates. These are moot points, as the toxic effects of the extraction will continue, even if they are replaced with the new processes. There exists a limited amount of rare-earth metals, and these exist in only a small handful of targeted mining sites throughout the world – many in China itself. Once removed, the land is beyond reuse due to the toxic nature of the extraction.
Solutions for Outside the Box Thinking
It is unreasonable to expect a global mentality shift when utilizing rare earth minerals. The burgeoning market for smartphone development, which is the key market for Chinese rare earth metals and adhesive magnets, shows no signs of stopping. Research is being conducted for ways to reduce or eliminate rare-earth use in technology, but at this time the availability of elements and the high-profit margin make replacement an unlikely event any time soon.
Recycling programs are doing some good, as companies are able to offer enough (though far below the actual value) to reclaim customer phones once they are done with them. These phones are then broken into components and the rare earth magnets extracted for reuse. In doing so, the buyback programs are doing something to reduce initial stage harvesting of the minerals, but it is only a matter of time until all the rare earth minerals are extracted and a shortfall prompts research into new technologies.
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