The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is collaborating with Amazon, Ames National Laboratory, and the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub to pioneer advanced recycling technologies for essential minerals. This partnership aims to leverage Amazon’s artificial intelligence capabilities and supply chain scale alongside the DOE’s premier materials science expertise to bolster domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign imports.
Central to the initiative is the “Genesis Mission,” a DOE goal focused on extracting critical materials from unconventional waste streams. Researchers from the CMI Hub will work with Amazon teams to explore innovative methods for converting post-consumer textiles, such as discarded clothing, into battery-grade graphite. This transition from fabric waste to high-value industrial material represents a significant step in securing domestic resources for modern technology and energy storage.
A second branch of the collaboration involves Amazon Web Services (AWS) investigating the recovery of critical minerals, such as gallium, from end-of-life IT hardware. By applying AWS’s expertise in physical AI and supply chain management to the CMI Hub’s recovery techniques, the project seeks to determine the technical and economic feasibility of harvesting minerals from retired technology on a national scale.
Audrey Robertson, Assistant Secretary of Energy for the Office of Critical Materials and Energy Innovation, highlighted the national security implications of the move. She noted that the recovery of minerals from technology and textile waste has the potential to transform domestic supply chains and aligns with the Trump Administration’s broader efforts to strengthen economic resilience.
Leaders from Ames National Laboratory and the CMI Hub emphasised that the partnership is designed to move laboratory breakthroughs into real-world applications rapidly. Amazon’s Chief Scientist for Sustainability and AI, Kommy Weldemariam, stated that the company will utilise its full AI suite, including Amazon Nova, to advance this new frontier in material circularity and help build a more resilient domestic infrastructure.
