Western Digital (WD), in collaboration with Microsoft, Critical Materials Recycling (CMR), and PedalPoint Recycling, is launching an innovative pilot project aimed at recycling rare earth elements (REEs) from decommissioned mechanical hard drives (HDDs) and other electronic waste. This initiative aims to reduce the environmental impact of HDD production while contributing to a sustainable supply of critical materials within the U.S. supply chain.

HDDs are an essential component of cloud data center infrastructure, and their design integrates materials science, mechanical engineering, and physics, relying heavily on rare earth elements like Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr), and Dysprosium (Dy) for their magnetic properties, which enable precise data writing and reading. However, traditional recycling methods have been limited, recovering only small amounts of these key materials. As a result, rare earth elements are often left unrecycled, leading to unnecessary waste.

The new project, which involves recycling approximately 50,000 pounds of obsolete HDDs, mounting brackets, and other components, promises to create a more efficient recycling process. The initiative uses advanced sorting systems and environmentally-friendly non-acidic treatment methods to recover not only rare earth elements but also metals such as gold (Au), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and steel. These recovered materials will be reintegrated into the U.S. supply chain to support industries like electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced electronics that rely on these resources.

If expanded globally, this recycling process could significantly increase the availability of rare earth resources within the U.S., reducing the need for environmentally harmful mining operations. Currently, over 85% of global rare earth production occurs outside the U.S., and domestic rare earth recycling rates are below 10%.

The materials used in this pilot program are sourced from several Microsoft data centers across the U.S. The initiative has already demonstrated high efficiency, with approximately 90% of the rare earth elements and materials being successfully recovered and reintegrated into the supply chain. Additionally, about 80% of the raw material mass was recovered, transforming potential waste into valuable assets.

The project also highlights significant environmental benefits. According to a lifecycle analysis (LCA), this new process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 95% compared to traditional mining and processing methods. By completing the entire rare earth oxide (REO) production process domestically, the project further reduces carbon emissions associated with transportation, bolstering the resilience of the U.S. supply chain and decreasing reliance on imported materials.

“This project is a significant milestone in driving sustainability and economic growth,” said Jackie Jung, Vice President of Global Operations Strategy and Corporate Sustainability at Western Digital. “Our collaboration with key partners is helping to transform waste equipment into critical resources that power the future while protecting the planet and strengthening the U.S. supply chain.”

The environmentally-friendly, non-acidic dissolution recycling (ADR) technology used in the project was developed by the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Center. CMI Director Tom Lograsso highlighted the rapid progress of the ADR technology, which moved from the laboratory to demonstration scale in just eight years. The success of this project lays the foundation for scaling up and expanding the use of environmentally-friendly chemical methods to recycle rare earth elements.

This pilot program not only addresses the needs of data centers but could also have far-reaching implications for other industries that rely on rare earth elements, helping to reduce their environmental footprint and contribute to more sustainable manufacturing practices.