Apple announced a new partnership to establish a cutting-edge rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California.
The tech company will work with MP Materials, the only fully integrated rare earth producer in the U.S., for the project. When construction is completed, the new recycling facility in Mountain Pass will enable MP Materials to take in recycled rare earth feedstock, including material from used electronics and post-industrial scrap, and reprocess it for use in Apple products.
For nearly five years, Apple and MP Materials have been piloting advanced recycling technology that enables recycled rare earth magnets to be processed into material that meets Apple’s exacting standards for performance and design. The companies will continue to innovate together to improve magnet production as well as end-of-life recovery.
Apple announced a new commitment of $500 million with MP Materials.
“American innovation drives everything we do at Apple, and we’re proud to deepen our investment in the U.S. economy,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “Rare earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of American manufacturing, and we will continue to invest in the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of the American people.”
With this multiyear deal, Apple is committed to buying American-made rare earth magnets developed at MP Materials’ flagship Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and develop novel magnet materials and innovative processing technologies to enhance magnet performance.
Apple pioneered the use of recycled rare earth elements in consumer electronics, first introducing them in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11 in 2019. Nearly all magnets across Apple devices today are made with 100% recycled rare earth elements. The collaboration with MP Materials will help secure domestic supply of this critical material, strengthen the U.S. rare earth industry’s capabilities to capture more raw material, and advance environmental progress with innovative recycling methods.
Apple and MP Materials will build out the state-of-the-art Texas factory with a series of neodymium magnet manufacturing lines specifically designed for Apple products. The new equipment and technical capacity will allow MP Materials to significantly boost its overall production.