A game-changer in rare earth recycling

Cyclic Materials has made a press release about its transformative step forward in building a circular future. The Company has secured a $25 million investment to launch North America’s first Centre of Excellence for rare earth recycling in Kingston, Ontario. This state-of-the-art facility is set to redefine the rare earth supply chain, creating 45 skilled jobs and establishing Kingston as the cornerstone of cleantech innovation.

Improving global supply chains

The Centre of Excellence will combine full-scale commercial processing with advanced R&D. It will aim to solve a critical supply chain challenge: resilient sourcing of rare earth elements (REEs) essential for EVs, wind turbines, and consumer electronics.

Using its proprietary REEPureSM technology, the facility will process 500 tonnes of magnet-rich feedstock annually, producing recycled Mixed Rare Earth Oxide (rMREO), a critical input for permanent magnets. Feedstock will come from our Arizona-based “Spoke” and an expanding network of partners supplying magnet scrap. Operations are set to begin in Q1 2026, with rMREO already earmarked for key partners like Solvay, following a 2024 offtake agreement. The Centre will also feature cutting-edge R&D labs and a mini-Spoke line to fast-track innovation and scale next-gen recycling technologies.

Today, less than 1% of rare earth elements are recycled, leaving global supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and environmental strain.

Critical milestone

Ahmad Ghahreman CEO of Cyclic Materials, put it best: “With this Centre of Excellence, we’re advancing our core mission: to secure the most critical elements of the energy transition through circular innovation.”

Cyclic Materials informs that this milestone wouldn’t be possible without the support of its partners and community. Kingston is home of demonstration facilities and invaluable collaborators, including Queen’s University, Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. (KPM), Reaction (RXN) HUB, and Impact Chemistry. Support from programs like CMRDD, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), SDTC, and IRAP has been instrumental in making this vision a reality.

Moreover, the Kingston Economic Development Corporation has a major input to Companies’ growth. As Director Shelley Hirstwood shared: „We are proud to support Cyclic Materials’ efforts to create a circular supply chain addressing Canada’s critical minerals and rare earth elements.”

As the Company informs, this is just the beginning. The Centre of Excellence is a key milestone in scaling a sustainable and circular ecosystem for rare earth magnets across North America and Europe.