French-American chemist makes major breakthrough in recycling of rare earths

From the show

Rare earth elements are crucial for defence, auto and electronic industries and have become a geopolitical battleground. China controls 95 percent of the world's supply, thanks to cheap labour, vast deposits and lax environmental regulations. But a young French-American scientist has developed a groundbreaking process for recovering rare earths from neon light bulbs, and potentially other electronic appliances, paving the way for the recycling of these essential metals.