Earthworks Industries Finalizes Acquisition of Critical Minerals Recovery Technology

Canadian waste management firm Earthworks Industries has completed its acquisition of the Critical Minerals Recycling and Recovery System from Wokaura Art & Innovations. The deal involves the transfer of up to 6 million shares and aims to enhance the recovery of minerals from batteries and electronic waste. This strategic move marks a shift for Earthworks toward technology-driven recycling solutions following the loss of a major site development project in California.

Earthworks Industries, a publicly traded company on the TSX Venture Exchange, finalized the acquisition of the Critical Minerals Recycling and Recovery System this week. Under the terms of the agreement, Earthworks will issue 4 million shares to the technology's creator, Wokaura Art & Innovations, over the next 24 months, with an additional 2 million shares available if specific performance milestones are met. The system is designed to extract critical minerals from secondary and legacy material streams, such as manufacturing byproducts and end-of-life electronics, utilizing a combination of physical processing equipment and a cloud-based operating layer.

The technology employs a hub-and-spoke deployment model, allowing for regional control across multiple locations and material streams. Earthworks plans to pilot the system at a copper recycling facility in British Columbia before expanding its footprint across North America. CEO David Atkinson emphasized that the scalable, modular nature of the platform is intended to address the accelerating global demand for domestic sources of critical minerals while mitigating vulnerabilities in Western supply chains. The company is also actively seeking its own facility to host third-party waste treatment operations.

This acquisition represents a significant pivot for Earthworks following a legal setback regarding its previous expansion plans. The company’s subsidiary, Cortina Integrated Waste Management, had spent years attempting to develop a 443-acre waste-handling site in Colusa County, California. However, a court order terminated the lease for that property late last year, prompting Earthworks to refocus its business model on advanced recycling technologies and third-party contracting. The integration of Wokaura’s system is the primary outcome of this strategic redirection.