There’s a looming copper shortage. This South Carolina startup wants to mine it from waste instead of ore

A startup called Red Metals is trying to make better use of the copper discarded in old products.

[Source Images: NovaVision/Adobe Stock, Vitaly/Adobe Stock]

The world faces a looming copper shortage: By 2040, demand could grow by 50%, driven by everything from electric cars to the surge in data centers. At the same time, supply is expected to drop, leaving a shortfall of 10 million metric tons, according to an S&P analysis. Already, supply shortages have pushed copper prices to record highs this year.

In Charleston, South Carolina, a startup called Red Metals is racing to build more American supply through urban mining—pulling copper from old products and scrap rather than extracting the metal........

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