Managing and maintaining an optimal harmony among what goes as input to the supply chain, what is made and how much goes as waste is critical to responsible supply chain and to good product stewardship.

FORBES: A responsible supply chain is a delicate balancing act

So is the cardboard-box industry, as its basic input, used cardboard, is now in short supply.

ECONOMIST: The rising price of cardboard

And as the costs of rare earths increase while the dependability of Chinese supply decreases, the incentive only grows for engineers to come up with ways to use some other input.

WSJ: Business Asia: Postcards From the Rare-Earth Front