# Turning the E-Waste Stream Into a National Asset w/ Matt Bedingfield

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2026-07-21
- Length: 24m
- Episode: 319
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-019f3d40-7784-702d-87d9-b7ba7993bd0f

## Summary

Matt Bedingfield, CEO of Mint Innovation, explains how the US can turn its e-waste stream into a national asset by recovering critical minerals like copper, gold, and palladium from printed circuit boards and black mass. He highlights a 1-million-ton copper shortfall and the vulnerability of relying on exporting scrap only to re-import refined metal, arguing for a sovereign supply chain built on domestic processing capabilities. Bedingfield discusses the necessity of an ecosystem approach, citing his work with the Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2) in Kentucky to solve pre-competitive challenges like talent pipelines and safety, and outlines Mint's plan to build a new facility in Longview, Texas.

## Chapters

- [0:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=37) Introduction: Matt Bedingfield and Mint Innovation
- [6:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=392) The Copper Shortfall and Sovereign Supply Chain
- [7:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=467) Processing Difficult E-Waste Streams
- [10:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=627) The Urban Mine as a National Asset
- [11:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=687) Building an Ecosystem: The MI2 Example
- [14:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=892) Startup Challenges and Team Building
- [21:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=1272) Government Stockpiles and Secure Data Destruction
- [22:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield#t=1363) Mint Innovation's Expansion to Texas

## Topics

- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Mint Innovation (company)
- Wheeland Group (company)
- Novelis (company)
- Trieros (company)
- Arubus (company)
- HP (company)
- Metals Innovation Initiative (company)
- Guerrilla 76 (company)
- Longview, Texas (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [From the Battlefield to the Supply Chain: A Marine’s Mission to Secure Critical Minerals with Ian Killough, President of Ridgeline Elements](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/tough-tech-vets/2025-02-10-from-the-battlefield-to-the-supply-chain-a-marines-mission-to-secure-critical-mi) (Tough Tech Vets)
- [274: The Auto Rescue, Critical Minerals, and Moving Manufacturing Forward with Representative Haley Stevens](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2026-02-10-274-the-auto-rescue-critical-minerals-and-moving-manufacturing-forward-with-repr) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [E-Waste Crisis: How Component Sense is Making a Difference](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2024-11-13-e-waste-crisis-how-component-sense-is-making-a-difference) (OnTrack)
- [Building a supply chain for rare earth elements](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-25-building-a-supply-chain-for-rare-earth-elements) (Catalyst)
- [The Carbon Copy: Get ready for the battery recycling boom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-07-07-the-carbon-copy-get-ready-for-the-battery-recycling-boom) (Catalyst)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-07-21-turning-the-e-waste-stream-into-a-national-asset-w-matt-bedingfield. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Manufacturing Executive.