Cyclic Materials Opens Commercial Rare Earth Recycling Plant in Arizona
The new Mesa facility uses proprietary technology to recover critical minerals, reducing U.S. reliance on foreign supply chains.
Cyclic Materials has opened its first commercial-scale rare earth magnet recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona. The plant marks a significant step in establishing a domestic supply chain for minerals essential to modern high-tech manufacturing.
The Mesa facility is capable of processing up to 25,000 metric tons of magnet-bearing end-of-life products annually. Utilizing proprietary MagCycle technology, the plant recovers copper, aluminum, and steel alongside rare earth elements, which are processed into a specific rare earth magnet concentrate known as Mag-Xtract. To ensure a steady flow of raw materials, Cyclic Materials has partnered with electronics recycler ERI to build a comprehensive domestic feedstock portfolio.
The Critical Mineral Crunch
Rare earth permanent magnets are indispensable components for strategic technologies, including electric vehicle (EV) traction motors, wind turbine generators, AI hardware, and defense systems. Currently, the global supply chain for these materials is heavily concentrated in China, leaving U.S. manufacturers exposed to geopolitical vulnerabilities. While opening new mines is a traditional solution, the process is often hindered by lengthy permitting and development timelines. Recycling provides a faster, more agile route to securing a domestic supply of these critical elements.
Strengthening National Security
This facility represents a strategic pivot toward a circular economy for critical minerals within the United States. By extracting value from e-waste and decommissioned industrial equipment, the U.S. can mitigate its reliance on foreign imports. This shift is vital for both the green energy transition and the maintenance of national security infrastructure. "This facility delivers new capacity for the US to keep resource-rich products here and build a domestic rare earth supply," said Ahmad Ghahreman, CEO and founder of Cyclic Materials.
John Shegerian, ERI chairman and CEO, noted that the facility's commercial capabilities make the circularity of heavy rare earth elements more accessible than ever before.
Future Expansion
As the company scales its operations in Arizona, it is already looking toward further domestic growth. Cyclic Materials is currently developing an additional recycling campus in South Carolina, which is scheduled to open in 2028. This expansion suggests a long-term strategy to create a distributed network of recycling hubs to support the growing demand for sustainable mineral sourcing across the country.