Rare earths refer to the 17 critical elements found in magnets, catalysts, batteries, and phosphors that enable technologies such as computers, smartphones, and medical devices. Some of these elements are particularly important for emerging clean energy solutions which will rely on rare earths for wind turbines, energy-efficient equipment, electric vehicles, and energy storage (Zhou et al. 2017, U.S. DOE 2017). China leads as the largest supplier of rare earths, but many countries have significant rare earth deposits with the potential for exploration (Zhou et al. 2017). The process of mining rare earths has high environmental costs. It includes injecting a toxic chemical mixture into pits where rare earths exist. The chemicals leech out the rare earths, and in the absence of mitigation or remediation, the toxic pits are then abandoned. Compounding the environmental issues associated with rare earth mining, the vast majority of rare earth ores contain radioactive thorium and uranium (Huang et al. 2016, IISD 2018). In China, ASM mining of rare earths has led to large-scale water and soil contamination, cancer clusters, and reduced crop yields (China Rare Earths, Yale 360, IISD 2018). Numerous illegal rare earth mines are sometimes owned by criminal syndicates, which rely on forced labor and even forced child labor for their production (Bradsher 2010, Schlanger 2017, IISD 2018).

In many cases, the global demand for rare earths is already outpacing supply, and demand is projected to increase steadily for decades. For example, neodymium supply needs to increase nearly threefold by 2050 just to meet the renewable energy goals set out in the Paris Agreement (Arrobas et al. 2017, IISD 2018). Today, China accounts for 80 percent of rare earth production, while owning 36% of the supply. Though increased demand is spurring rapid growth of rare earth mining and refinement elsewhere in the world, China will likely have the market cornered for at least the next decade. (Shaw 2017, IISD 2018).

Little effort has thus far been put into ensuring end-to-end supply chain monitoring of rare earths, at least in part because they are not considered “conflict minerals.” The countries with the largest rare earth supplies are not as fragile or exploitive as those supplying 3TGs and cobalt. One tactic to help supply keep up with demand may be investment in recycled minerals. Current recycling rates for rare earths are extremely low, and recycling investments could steer the global market away from the “fragility, conflict, and violence” associated with mining (IISD 2018). However, increased recycling is also likely to make the supply chain even more difficult to trace, as the legal and regulatory environment for recycled minerals is less advanced than that for mined minerals (IISD 2018).

Guiding questions for innovation

• What role can consumers play in driving and ensuring environmentally responsible ASM for cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten, colored gemstones, gold, and other resources mined through ASM?

• How can downstream manufacturers and brands influence the environmental and social conditions of ASM mine sites to ensure reliable and environmentally responsible sources for necessary minerals, metals, and gemstones?

• Is it possible to know where past, present, and future ASM sites are located? In what ways can this knowledge incentivize different stakeholders along the supply chain to improve environmental and social outcomes?

• What innovative financial tools or business models can be applied to ASM to reduce environmental and human health impacts at mining sites?

• What tools and techniques used by large and industrial scale mining operations can be adapted for ASM to prevent or remediate negative environmental and human health impacts?

• Where are there currently data on ASM, how can more useful data be collected? Who needs access to these data to make better decisions about environmental and social outcomes of the ASM sector?

Need some inspiration?

We realize that it isn’t always obvious to innovators outside of their fields to see the application of their technology in ASM. We’ve identified some technologies where we see ASM use-cases for existing technologies. These are suggestions and do not indicate any preference of the Challenge administrators or judges; nor is this list meant to be exhaustive. These suggestions are provided to give innovators some ideas on where there might be application for these techniques. Ideally applicants read this list, become inspired, and come up with their own ideas on how to apply their innovations to solve the ASM problems described above.

• Field-ready, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive metal sensors using advanced techniques such as:

  • absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy;

  • hyperspectral imaging;

  • resonant frequency lidar;

  • electronic sensors using field-effect transistors; and,

  • nanotextured metal-films detecting surface plasmon resonance.

• Earth observation techniques from satellites or drones and corresponding data analysis.

• Mineralogy techniques such as x-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and optical microscopy.

• Application of AI and machine learning to convert data into better decisions and actions.