Recovering Critical Materials From E-Waste and the Untapped Urban Mine

Critical materials are essential to powering the transition to net zero, not to mention delivering electronics to the world's growing consumer class. With record-setting demand, we face domestic and global supply shortages for these materials. Yet electronic-waste continues to fill landfills or lay abandoned in desk drawers where its essential components cannot be recovered. In fact, it is estimated that 85 percent of the more than 50 million tons of e-waste generated globally each year is dumped or incinerated. 

How can we tap into the "urban mine,” intercepting and recapturing critical materials before  they’re disposed of? Join this long-form workshop about the current state of the critical material supply chain in electronics, efforts to to scale up e-waste recycling and insights on and where we go from here.

Workshop Run of Show:

• Welcoming Remarks
  • Lauren Phipps, Yale School of the Environment
• Understanding the Landscape: Where are we now? fireside chat
  • Moderator: Lauren Phipps, Yale School of the Environment
  • Speaker: Mike Werner | Head of Circular Economy | Google
• Building Robust Collection & Take Back Solutions for E-Waste, panel 
  • Moderator: Heather Clancy, GreenBiz Group
  • Speakers: Tim Dunn, Best Buy; Katy Bolan, Google
• Break
• Recycling E-Waste & Future Proofing Critical Material Supply Chains, panel
  • Moderator: Lauren Phipps, Yale School of the Environment
  • Speakers: John Shegerian, ERI; Bryony Clear Hill, International Council on Mining and Metals; Kate Fiehrer, Intel Corporation
• Closing Remarks