The use of rare earths in electronics devices such as smart phones, batteries and hard drives is well-known, but a lesser-explored area is how the rare metals might be recycled. Doing so would not only cut down on e-waste, but could go some way towards mitigating the supply risk of these metals, as end-users fret about running out or paying too much for them.
See http://resourceinvestingnews.com/60189-ree-electronics-recycling-being-explored.html.