We humans rely upon metals. They are supremely important resources. Billions of tons are mined each year. But we’ve greatly wasted this precious mineral resource.
In an article in the journal Nature Sustainability, a team including industrial ecologist Christoph Helbig (University of Bayreuth, Germany) has found that only a handful of metals are recycled and reused. Among 61 commercially used metals, including cobalt and gallium (both important components in current technologies) more than half have a “lifespan” of ten years or less. Gold, iron, and lead seem to be the exception in that they are re-used and repurposed many times over. But, in general, we humans use-and-abuse then toss aside. As much as 84% of vital metals end up in landfills.