Improving the circularity of the UK economy – UK CMIC webinar

Join scientists from the UK Critical Mineral Intelligence Centre (CMIC) for a live webinar introducing our latest report, exploring the extent to which UK waste classification and management frameworks influence the recovery of critical minerals.

End-of-life (EoL) products, manufacturing residues and industrial waste streams are emerging as increasingly important secondary sources of critical minerals. More effective recovery of these materials could enhance the UK’s supply-chain resilience, contribute to net zero objectives and reduce reliance on imported primary raw materials.

Achieving the ambitions set out in the UK Critical Minerals Strategy (Department for Business and Trade, 2025) will require a more integrated policy framework that brings together waste management, circular economy principles and objectives, and critical mineral supply-chain resilience.

Our latest research identifies several challenges that currently limit the recovery and recycling of critical minerals, including regulatory frameworks, environmental risks, and shortage of specialist skills.

The study also identifies considerable opportunities to expand secondary supply. Many EoL products or waste streams contain concentrations of critical minerals that are comparable to or even exceed those considered feasible for recycling or those found in mineral deposits. The rapid deployment of low-carbon technologies, including electric vehicles, wind turbines and photovoltaics, is expected to generate increasing volumes of recoverable EoL materials in the future. These developments indicate significant potential for EoL products to contribute to meeting future demand for certain critical minerals.