Woburn, MA – Michelle Chao, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Tailings, has been appointed to the Rare Earth Industry Association’s (REIA) Board of Directors during its annual meeting in Frankfurt, Germany. REIA represents the global rare earth metals industry, with the goal of educating the world about the increasing value of these elements.
“It is an incredible honor to join the Rare Earth Industry Association Board of Directors and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience from Phoenix Tailings as the association works to advance global knowledge of rare earth elements,” said Michelle Chao, Chief Operating Officer of Phoenix Tailings. “Phoenix Tailings is the only company in the United States currently refining rare earth metals with zero direct carbon emissions and zero toxic byproducts. We are excited to work alongside REIA, a leader in research, development and policy creation centered around these rare elements, to prove that we can sustainably produce the key components for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and every other part of our emerging electrified economy.”
With a Bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chao has been a passionate advocate for environmental sustainability. As a founding member of Phoenix Tailings, Chao has worked to develop the technology to turn mining waste, or tailings, into elements that can be used to power the future of sustainable technology.
Each year the mining industry discards over 200 billion tons of waste (tailings), producing more than seven percent of the world’s carbon emissions. Phoenix Tailings is on a mission to be the world’s first clean mining and metals production company, eliminating this harmful waste from the environment while sustainably creating valuable materials.
To learn more about the innovative work Phoenix Tailings is doing, you can check out this informational video.
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About Phoenix Tailings: Phoenix Tailings is a Massachusetts-based startup powering sustainable manufacturing by refining rare earth metals and other critical materials from mining waste using a proprietary process with zero direct carbon emissions and zero toxic byproducts. It is the only company currently producing neodymium, a key component for magnets, here in the United States.
Media Contact: media@phoenixtailings.com