REIA developed the Product Category Rules (“PCR”) document on rare-earth concentrates, oxides, metals, and magnets in collaboration with Minviro, who moderated a committee of rare-earth-industry stakeholders, including REIA members, to formulate the PCR.

The PCR provides instructions for how life-cycle assessments (“LCAs”) should be conducted for rare-earth products, from mine to oxide production, oxide to metal conversion, and metal to magnet manufacturing. The goal of developing PCRs is to ensure consistency and comparability of LCA results for products within the same category, which allows for meaningful comparison between products based on their environmental performance.

It outlines the exact steps for conducting a thorough LCA of rare-earth products, ensuring that every factor is considered for a comprehensive and reliable EPD. With this, we’re setting a new standard for transparency and environmental responsibility in the sector.

The development of the PCR for rare earths was an objective of the EIT RawMaterials-funded Circular System for Assessing Rare Earth Sustainability (“CSyARES”) project, which aims to develop a blockchain-based traceability circular system, to improve transparency and sustainability of supply chains involving critical and rare-earth materials. As part of its mission, REIA will offer the REE sustainability assessment service to its members.

The PCR can be found here.