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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub announced the launch of a collaboration with tech giant Amazon to advance technologies that recover and recycle critical materials, aimed at driving materials circularity and improving U.S. supply chain resilience.
According to the DOE, the new collaboration will bring together Amazon’s AI and supply chain capabilities with the Ames National Laboratory’s and the CMI Hub’s materials science expertise, with the organizations working together to reduce waste, strengthen domestic supply chains, and create opportunities for high-value material recovery. Key initiatives will include exploring methods for producing battery-grade graphite from post-consumer textiles such as discarded clothing, supporting the DOE’s efforts to secure critical materials from waste.
Kommy Weldemariam, chief scientist for sustainability and AI at Amazon, said, “We are advancing a new frontier in critical materials circularity—from converting discarded textiles into battery-grade graphite to recovering critical minerals from IT hardware. This is one example of how Amazon is helping build a more sustainable and resilient domestic supply chain.”
CMI Hub director Tom Lograsso added, “CMI’s mission is to move breakthrough materials technologies from the laboratory into real-world applications on timelines that meet industry’s needs. Working with Amazon gives us the opportunity to apply our capabilities at scale—combining CMI’s materials science expertise with Amazon’s AI to turn innovations into practical solutions that strengthen the nation’s critical materials supply chains.”
While the Trump administration’s energy policies have shifted sharply towards fossil fuels and away from renewables, they have also supported the development of domestic supply chains for critical minerals, often used in cleantech sectors and battery production.