Innovative Strategies for Reclaiming Essential Resources within the EU: From Element Extraction to Female Leadership Empowerment
Green Revolution: The NEO-CYCLE Project
The EU-backed NEO-CYCLE project, spanning from 2024-2028, is a trailblazing initiative aiming to revolutionize the upcycling of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets from hard disk drives (HDDs) to combat critical raw material challenges and drive circularity across the European Union. These magnets can be found in plenty in laptops, servers, and desktops.
Aiming for Sustainable Progress
NEO-CYCLE's mission is to cultivate eco-friendly and innovative technologies to boost recycling and upcycling processes for NdFeB magnets. By doing so, it seeks to lessen supply vulnerabilities and the environmental burden associated with mining and processing scarce materials.
Sustainability and Circularity at the Forefront
Life cycle assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and energy efficiency evaluations are integral components of the project. By adopting this holistic approach, the team aims to showcase various aspects of processes and product sustainability and circularity, thereby reducing risks and enhancing technology performance. To further optimize processes and products, digitalization tools like digital twins and digital product passports are being employed.
Market Disruption and Strategic Partnerships
NEO-CYCLE's end-use products will undergo validation in four industries – pharmaceutical, ammonia, fertilizer, and polymer – reaching the 6th technology readiness level (TRL6). The project involves a diverse range of stakeholders, from waste recycling companies and research institutions to pharmaceutical and fertilizer industries and non-governmental organizations, aiming to boost market uptake for the developed upcycling technologies.
Closing the Loop: Addressing the Output
Altogether, some 14.4 million tonnes of electronic and electrical products were marketed in the EU in 2022, with just 4 million tonnes being recycled. Approximately 8.3% of global e-waste originates from IT and communication equipment, with HDDs being a promising and cost-effective source for NdFeB magnets and critical elements like neodymium. Through NEO-CYCLE's innovations, the recycling of 10% of spent HDDs in the EU could result in the recovery of around 4.7% of the EU's neodymium consumption in 2020.
Tackling the Collection Challenge
First, the collection and disassembling of e-waste are essential steps, with around 400-600 kg of NdBFe magnets from HDDs planned to be provided for technology development. The magnets are then separated and processed, and chemical processes are employed for the separation and purification of critical elements like neodymium, boron, and iron.
Empowering Women in Engineering
Gender equality is a significant factor in spurring economic growth. Although progress has been made in the EU towards gender equality, sustainability is yet to be attained. To promote inclusivity, the NEO-CYCLE project addresses gender issues by offering professional, soft skill, and leadership training specifically tailored for women. Thus, the project aims to amplify the presence of women in the research and entrepreneurial landscape.
In summary, the NEO-CYCLE project takes a comprehensive approach to creating breakthrough upcycling technologies for NdFeB magnets, considering aspects of sustainability and feasibility while promoting gender equality. This project is a significant stride towards a greener and more circular European Union.
- The NEO-CYCLE project, a trailblazing initiative spanning from 2024-2028, aims to upcycle neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets from hard disk drives (HDDs) to drive circularity across the European Union and combat raw material challenges.
- By cultivating eco-friendly and innovative technologies, NEO-CYCLE's mission is to boost recycling and upcycling processes for NdFeB magnets, lessening supply vulnerabilities and environmental burdens associated with mining and processing scarce materials.
- Life cycle assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and energy efficiency evaluations are integral components of the NEO-CYCLE project, adopting a holistic approach to showcase various aspects of processes and product sustainability and circularity, thereby reducing risks and enhancing technology performance.
- NEO-CYCLE's end-use products will be validated in four industries – pharmaceutical, ammonia, fertilizer, and polymer – reaching the 6th technology readiness level (TRL6), involving a diverse range of stakeholders to boost market uptake for the developed upcycling technologies.
- Through NEO-CYCLE's innovations, the recycling of 10% of spent HDDs in the EU could result in the recovery of around 4.7% of the EU's neodymium consumption in 2020, as 8.3% of global e-waste originates from IT and communication equipment, with HDDs being a cost-effective source for NdFeB magnets and critical elements like neodymium.
- First, the collection and disassembling of e-waste are essential steps, with around 400-600 kg of NdBFe magnets from HDDs planned to be provided for technology development, separating and processing the magnets, and employing chemical processes for the separation and purification of critical elements like neodymium, boron, and iron.
- To promote inclusivity, the NEO-CYCLE project addresses gender issues by offering professional, soft skill, and leadership training specifically tailored for women, aiming to amplify the presence of women in the research and entrepreneurial landscape and encouraging gender equality as a significant factor in spurring economic growth.
