The global energy and industrial sectors run on rare earth elements (REEs), a group of 17 metals indispensable for everything from EV batteries and smartphones to wind turbines and catalytic converters. While REEs are often found in small quantities, generally as trace impurities bound with similar elements, they are not exactly rare, with some like cerium more abundant than lead. However, only ~1% of rare earth elements (REE) are recycled globally due to the complexity of separating them from other materials, the low concentrations in products,…