NOVELTY - The system has a temperature and pressure controlled vessel including material containing rare earth elements and rare earth element crystallization medium under solvothermal conditions sufficient to selectively crystallize the rare earth elements to form rare earth metal crystals that are gravity separated. A gravity separator separates the rare earth metal crystals from the material to form purified rare earth metal crystalline composition. A purifying vessel purifies the rare earth metal formate crystalline composition.    USE - System for recovering rare earth elements from material e.g. CRT phosphor, mercury free waste phosphor material, neodymium-iron-boron magnet and NiMH battery (all claimed), in a temperature and pressure controlled vessel. Uses include but are not limited to lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, dysprosium, cerium, europium, terbium and yttrium, utilized for petroleum refining applications, wind turbine generators, electric vehicle motors and energy efficient fluorescent lights.    ADVANTAGE - The system does not require use of mineral acids when operable pH range is between 6 and 7, thus reducing impact on an environment including water resources. The system is readily amenable to recycling so as to prevent resource depletion of rare earths. The system reduces environmental effects of waste in landfills and waste with formamide recycle.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The crystallization medium comprises 80 vol.% to 100 vol.% of amide selected from a group consisting of formamide, N-carbylformamides and N-N-dicarbylformamides, 0 vol.% to 10 vol.% of organic acid selected from a group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid and propanoic acid and 0 vol.% to 10 vol.% of water. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for the following:    (1) a method for recovering rare earth elements from material including containing rare earth elements    (2) a composition for recovering rare earth elements from material containing rare earth elements.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic view illustrating graphical comparison of current rare earth element recovery systems and present rare earth element recovery system.