# Critical-Minerals Recycling as Domestic Supply

Higher-yield recycling of lithium and other battery metals increasingly converts waste streams into domestic supply, loosening dependence on mining and imports for the minerals that feed electrification and compute-adjacent storage.

- Conviction: 40 / 100 (forming)
- Horizon: Emerging (watchlist)
- Tracking since: 2026-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Last updated: 2026-07-14T05:39:34.959Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/ai/trends/critical-minerals-recycling-supply
- Publisher: Polylog
- Affected regions: United States

## Recent evidence

- [confirms] Japan's JX Metals Reports 90% Lithium Recovery From Spent EV Batteries (2026-07-14): Japan's JX Metals reports 90% lithium recovery from spent EV batteries at its Tsuruga plant—nearly double the sub-50% industry rate—by swapping recovered lithium hydroxide for sodium hydroxide, with mass production set for 2027, per the report. A named operator roughly doubling recovery yield with a near-term production plan materially advances the thesis that recycling becomes domestic battery-metal supply.