U.S. Department of Energy Seeks Information on Increasing the Recyclability and Reusability of Materials to Reduce Waste and Decarbonize the U.S. Economy

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued a request for information (RFI) to better understand the key opportunities and challenges associated with increased material circularity. This RFI aims to inform DOE’s upcoming efforts to advance circular economy technologies and systems in the United States. Developing pathways that keep materials in use beyond a single lifecycle is critical to decarbonizing the U.S. economy and setting the nation on the path to achieving the Biden Administration’s clean energy goals of a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

The transition to a circular economy represents a strategic opportunity for the United States to pioneer new technologies with international demand and to strengthen domestic supply chains ranging from critical materials to commodities. With this transition, our nation will reduce material waste and minimize the associated environmental impacts, while also recovering critical materials that can then be reused in green energy technologies. DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) is facilitating this request for public input to better understand the barriers of moving from a linear to a more circular flow of materials through the manufacturing sector and larger domestic economy.

AMMTO is specifically interested in information on:

Life Cycle Databases and tools used in generating Environmental Product Declarations
Approaches to incentivize innovation, increase demand for recycled materials, and reduce demand for virgin materials
Potential for electronic waste (e-waste) to be a viable source of critical materials
Technical, information, market, financing, and policy challenges and opportunities to transition from a linear to a circular economy

Feedback is welcome from businesses across the value chain on challenges they face in transitioning to a more circular approach, as well as from academia, research laboratories, state and local policymakers, regulators, government agencies, community-based organizations, and more.

Read the RFI and learn how to submit your feedback here. Responses must be submitted no later than 5:00 P.M. ET on Monday May 1, 2023.

Learn more about AMMTO and its work to advance energy-related materials and manufacturing technologies to increase domestic competitiveness and build a clean, decarbonized economy.