On many coastlines around the world, piles of discarded oyster and mussel shells are a common sight—the leftovers of a global seafood industry that produces millions of tonnes of waste each year. At the same time, hidden in rocky deposits far from the coast, a very different sort of resource—rare earth elements—is plentiful. These metals are in soaring demand as they are essential for technologies such as wind turbines, electric vehicles, and most modern electronics.
The surprising power of seashells: How oyster waste can recapture rare earth elements
