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Dirty and Difficult to Come by - Critical Raw Materials

June 4, 2021

Batteries, smartphones, cosmetics and many other goods contain silicon, rare earths, lithium and more. But in most places, these elements are not readily available, and mining them often harms the environment.

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Seltene Erden Mine
Image: AP Photo/AP Images/picture alliance
DW Sendung Made in Germany | Mica
Image: DW

The child labor adding a shine to cosmetics

Mica is a group of minerals used in electronics, paints and cosmetics. It adds an attractive shimmer to cosmetics; it's also a good conductor of heat and an electrical insulator. But very often children are involved in mining it.

 

DW Sendung Made in Germany | Seltene Erden
Image: DW

What makes your smartphone smart?

Smartphones couldn't exist without rare earths. They cause it to vibrate, for example, and display vivid colors. So rare earth elements are in huge demand worldwide. But mining them is difficult and bad for the environment. And reserves are finite.

 

DW Sendung Made in Germany | Batterie
Image: DW

A second life for EV batteries

Lithium-ion batteries have enabled us to manufacture electric cars that don't run on fossil fuels. But how green are these batteries really? And what happens once they're spent?

 

 

DW Sendung Made in Germany | Minerals
Image: DW

Critical raw materials in northern Europe?

Critical raw materials like lithium, rare earths and graphite are in high demand, but in most places they're not readily available. A team of geologists is working to find them in northern Europe - to allow the EU to be less dependent on China.

 

 

 

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