DEScycle, Mitsubishi partner to advance e-waste metal recycling in Japan 

DEScycle, a developer of next-generation metals processing infrastructure, has entered into a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) to collaberate as partners for the Japanese market to develop business opportunities focused on the recovery and processing of metals from electronic waste.  

By combining DEScycle’s proprietary metals processing platform with MC’s industry network, operational and trading capabilities, and market expertise, the collaboration aims to advance innovation in e-waste recycling and support the growth of the circular economy in Japan. 

MC will leverage its global trading platform and broad customer relationships to support marketing activities for critical and precious metals recovered using DEScycle’s technology, the companies said. MC will also apply its investment expertise to explore opportunities for business expansion and future growth. 

As electrification, AI, and advanced manufacturing drive increasing demand for critical and strategic minerals, the need to expand capital-efficient metals recovery capacity has become increasingly urgent. 

 DEScycle is currently constructing a demo plant in the UK, supported by funding from MC, which is intended to inform future repeatable deployments as the company scales its platform. 

DEScycle’s proprietary ionometallurgy platform, based on deep eutectic solvent chemistry, enables the scaling of new metals recovery infrastructure without the billion-dollar price tag of the incumbent technology. Its technology is capital-light with significantly lower energy consumption and environmental impact compared to conventional smelting methods, it said, adding that by treating e-scrap as a secondary resource, the platform supports sustainable resource circulation and strengthens domestic, sovereign metals supply. 

“Partnering with Mitsubishi enables us to explore opportunities to deploy our platform in Japan, which is known for being a global leader in e-waste recycling,” DEScycle CCO Fred White said in a news release. 

“Alongside the UK and Japan, we aim to expand into the US and Europe, replicating this model through distributed, repeatable deployments, capturing above-ground resources of critical materials and unlocking sovereign supply chains.”