IRON RANGE — The idea behind an emerging local company is centered on electronic waste, fueling a new industry in Northern Minnesota.
During a recent conversation on the KAXE Morning Show, Reclaiming Critical Metals, LLC founders Keith Steva and Marlise Riffel said Minnesota throws away millions of dollars worth of reusable materials each year through electronic waste, or e-waste.
E-waste includes nearly any electronic device with a cord or a battery that has reached the end of its useful life. The discarded items, stored in basements or junk drawers or brought to landfills, often contain toxic materials that can cause contamination or fires. Housed within used phones, computers and other electronics are valuable metals like gold, silver, palladium, platinum and copper.
"These toxins are very unhealthy for the environment, unhealthy for people," Steva said. "And the problem is growing. We have more e-waste every year."
The origin
Riffel said the idea for the company grew out of conversations during Iron Range Earth Fest about the future of mining and recycling. A 2023 pilot study, "The Economic Potential of E-Waste Recycling in Minnesota," found that Minnesota generates over 266 million pounds of e-waste available for recycling.
Right now, only 23.7% of that e-waste is recycled. The rest gets into traditional waste streams or is shipped overseas. Riffel said the study estimated $3.2 billion dollars worth of critical metals could be generated each year.
Reclaiming Critical Metals, LLC plans to use a separation process called mechanical separation, which is used internationally but not yet in the United States. This process is different from smelting, which uses extreme heat and energy-intensive processes to separate material for valuable metal extraction. Riffle said the company also aims to develop a new bio-inspired extraction method that could eventually be patented.
Looking to the future
Company leaders say the project could become both an environmental and economic opportunity for the Iron Range. The first production line is expected to employ about 25 people, which is anticipated to scale up significantly as additional lines are added. Steva said every new production line operating around the clock could add roughly 75 jobs.
Beyond the local economic impact, the founders said recovering critical minerals domestically could help reduce dependence on overseas supply chains and cut transportation impacts.
Steva addressed the current need for metals, while acknowledging the heated debate in Minnesota over proposed copper nickel mines, He said , "Even if you added up both of those sources, we're still in a long-term shortage situation."
Riffel said e-waste has quantities of metals many times over the percentage found in raw copper nickel and is more economical. "The cost of getting it out of e-waste is a lot less than digging into the ground, and the energy use is about 13 times less. It's simply a more efficient way."
What's next
There is still a lot ahead for Reclaiming Critical Metals, LLC to become a viable business. Riffel said they are about 18 months away from becoming operational, and conversations and buy-in from the community is still needed. The founders are also pursuing grant funding through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as they continue developing their recycling and recovery methods.
Though landfills and recyclers and the Solid Waste Association are behind the project, a recent bill in the Minnesota Legislature did not pass. The "Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Stewardship Act" would require manufacturers to fully fund the collection, transportation and disposal of batteries and e-waste.
"If you listen to the government, the government speaks to the shortage of critical metals from a defense perspective," Steva said. "They actually are seeking to collect the materials and warehouse it."
Riffel looks to other countries like Switzerland as proof that nearly all e-waste could be recycled. Control of the supply of these metals is currently overseas.
Unlike the movement to mine copper and nickel by international companies like Twin Metals, the Tamarack Nickel Alliance, Polymet and others, Reclaiming Critical Metals, LLC aims to keep ownership, jobs and profits local.
"We intend to keep this company on the Range, owned by people on the Range, with the investors predominantly coming from the Range, the profits staying on the Range, with the unionized labor force paid a living wage," Riffel said. "That's a commitment that all four of us feel very, very strongly about."
Listen to the full conversation above.
