The island nation of Japan is short on natural resources and long on electronics. So it comes as little surprise that the Japanese are forging ahead in e-waste recovery. According to the New York Times, the practice has become even more crucial as China has clamped down on exporting raw materials (especially the rare earths crucial to manufacturing all sorts of devices) to Japan.

The United States should take note as Japan learns how to tap these "urban mines." It’s only a matter of time until we too run into these shortages.