This is a case where there is a good technological solution. It does however require some experimentation and investment.

There are mountains of valuable minerals in landfills all over the world. Not just copper, but gold, platinum, palladium, and cobalt to name a few in the form of discarded e-waste. Recycling it is a huge pain in the ass and therefore expensive, so it’s still cheaper to scratch new virgin materials out of the ground instead.

With the introduction of AI, companies have been scrambling to use it for the wrong things. What AI does best is pattern recognition, which is great for sorting waste. We can combine this with arrays of sensors that generate data fro things like light spectrum reflection and you have a sorting system that literally eats landfill and shits out valuable minerals.