[einpoklum]

Well, recycling that stuff is a challenge, for sure. But is it unrealistic to expect that they _can_ be recycled?

Also, what about wind turbines that use less/almost no rare-earth materials? Could these be produced at sub-optimal efficiency but still be viable?

[philipkglass]

The great majority of installed wind turbines are already built using electromagnets. Only a minority of turbines use rare earth permanent magnets. Permanent magnet designs cost more but are lower maintenance, so they are mostly used offshore where maintenance is more costly.