End-to-End Lifecycle Considerations for Minerals Powering Critical Technologies

Abstract

The United States (U.S.) is poised for a new wave of industrialization as it prepares to scale up domestic semiconductor manufacturing and widely implement clean energy infrastructure. With widespread application spaces beyond clean energy, such as communication, computing, healthcare, national security, and transportation, the scope of these endeavors is expected to be massive and long-term. The success of these initiatives is highly dependent on the non-renewable minerals used in critical technologies necessitating the adaptation of current business and legislative models to accommodate future long-term extraction and implementation needs. Without these adaptations, advancements will likely be made at the expense of taxpayers, vulnerable communities, and ecological preservation efforts. Here we propose policy recommendations to the U.S. federal government to minimize environmental and socio-economic harm resulting from metal mining and promote integration of circular economy principles in electronic product design. These recommendations are expected to have both domestic and international impacts in reducing harmful waste and increasing product longevity. Furthermore, these recommendations align with ensuring long-term U.S. leadership in the semiconductor and clean energy industries.