John Shegerian, Co-Founder, CEO and Chairman of ERI, the nation’s leading material resource recovery, ITAD, mobility and data destruction/processing provider and largest recycler of electronics, was invited to deliver a keynote presentation at the Texas A&M University Rare Earth Element Recovery Summit last week.

Shegerian’s presentation, titled “The Urban Mine: Hiding in Plain Sight,” featured shared insights on the current state of rare earth material recovery and the tremendous promise of the above ground mine, established via the responsible recycling of electronic waste.

As global demand for clean energy and high-tech devices accelerates, the sustainable sourcing of rare earth elements and other critical materials has become a strategic priority. Texas A&M’s summit, part of its Frontiers in Research series, aims at increasing the recovery of Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) magnet and other important minerals, reducing environmental footprints, and building a secure, domestic supply chain.

The event brought together industry experts, researchers and policymakers to bridge the gap between technological innovation and commercial viability in critical materials recovery.

Shegerian shared with the group an inside look at how innovation and collaboration are bringing the quest for rare earth materials beyond traditional mining, unlocking the value of end-of-life electronics and accelerating the transition to a truly circular economy.

“We greatly appreciate John and ERI for being so open in sharing their industry perspectives,” said Dr. Jingjing (Jenny) Qiu, Conference Organizer and Associate Professor at the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University-College Station. “This kind of openness and partnership with our academic community is exactly what we hope to foster thru this Summit.”

“It was a great honor and privilege to speak to the esteemed experts at the Rare Earth Element Recovery Summit, sharing information on one of the most critical and pressing issues in the industry today,” said Shegerian. “This event is vitally important because it gives thought leaders from all over the world the opportunity to share what they know and discuss vital best practices for the lifecycle of critical materials. Communication and education are vital if we are to problem-solve and work together to create material circularity and sustainability solutions.”

ERI is the first material resource recovery, ITAD and mobility recycling company that is carbon neutral and zero waste. ERI is certified at the highest level by all leading environmental and data security oversight organizations to de-manufacture, recycle, and refurbish every type of electronic device in an environmentally responsible manner. It is the first and only company in its industry to achieve carbon neutrality at all its facilities nationwide, and the first to achieve ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications for security and data protection. ERI has the capacity to process more than a billion pounds of electronic waste annually at its eight certified locations, serving every zip code in the United States. ERI’s mission is to protect people, the planet and privacy. For more information about ITAD services and e-waste recycling at ERI, call 1-800-ERI-DIRECT or visit https://eridirect.com.

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