The UK government has been urged to develop an integrated materials strategy aimed at reducing demand, reusing, and recycling critical materials to support its existing Net Zero Strategy and bolster economic security. A new report from the National Engineering Policy Centre, led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, highlights the urgency of addressing the nation’s dependence on materials that are increasingly being sourced from around the globe.
Critical materials identified by the UK government include lithium, essential for battery production, and magnesium, used in steel alloys. Other vital elements such as indium, cobalt, niobium, and rare earth elements like neodymium and praseodymium are also highlighted. These materials are typically found in low concentrations and their extraction often entails the removal of vast amounts of rock or water, raising sustainability concerns.
The report suggests the continuation of a National Materials Data Hub to monitor the sustainability of materials consumed in the UK. This hub would facilitate assessments of infrastructure plans regarding material security and sustainability. The government is encouraged to work internationally to improve traceability and evaluate the global impacts of materials’ emissions, pollution, and social harms, potentially using tools such as digital passporting.
A new target to halve the UK’s economy-wide material footprint is proposed to combat overconsumption and support the goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions. Much of the infrastructure and technology currently employed in the decarbonisation process relies heavily on critical materials. The report advocates for investment in design innovations to decrease demand and the establishment of more recycling facilities for equipment like wind turbines and batteries to reclaim valuable minerals at the end of their life cycles.
The current processes for recovering critical materials from products are often complex and costly, leading to substantial amounts of electronic waste being disposed of in landfills despite containing recoverable materials.
Professor Joan Cordiner FREng FRSE FIChemE, Chair of the National Engineering Policy Centre Working Group on Materials and Net Zero, emphasised the urgent need for change, stating: “The way we extract and consume materials is unsustainable. Our report highlights the rising demand for critical materials, driven largely by their use in batteries, power systems, and electronics. We must address the demand and reuse of these finite resources to avoid competing for them globally.”
The report notes that reducing the size of larger electric vehicle batteries by 30% could decrease lithium demand by 17%, saving 75 million tonnes of rock mined for lithium by 2040—equivalent to the volume of 19 Wembley Stadiums.
Mark Enzer FREng, a member of the Working Group, remarked on the scale of e-waste globally, with 62 million tonnes generated each year. The UK ranks second highest in e-waste production per capita. “International E-Waste Day next week provides a sobering opportunity for us to reflect on the urgent need to engineer a greener future,” he said.
Recommendations to cut the UK’s critical material footprint include improving design for disassembly and recycling, aiming to halve the UK’s overall materials footprint, and ensuring energy policy considers critical material demands. The report also advocates expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure and committing to banning single-use vapes with lithium-ion batteries in England by January 2024.
Overall, the report highlights the necessity for a cohesive approach to critical materials, linking sustainability with economic resilience for the future.
