Journal
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
Volume 228, Issue -, Pages 153-160Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.171
Keywords
Circular economy; Mining; Tailings; Valorization; Waste
Categories
Funding
- Academy of Finland [EcoTail] [306079]
- CSIRO Land and Water
- CSIRO Mineral Resources
- KIC Raw Materials
- Academy of Finland (AKA) [306079, 306079] Funding Source: Academy of Finland (AKA)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Current management of mining waste is based on linear economy thinking. However, the use of mining waste as a raw material resource can be one solution to the limited metal supply. The objective of this study was to fill in the knowledge gaps of business opportunities, drivers, needs and barriers for tailings valorization, since the transformation towards a circular economy needs advancements in understanding these factors. Based on a workshop and theme interviews, the utilization of tailings in the mining industry is currently in its infancy, but there is clear raw material potential for the future. The handling of sidestreams at mine sites depends on mine lifecycle. The identified opportunities and drivers were categorized under the circular economy mindset, technological, environmental, institutional and economic drivers. The needs were new value chains, technology development, the decrease in the amount of waste, stability, taxation, and predictability of regulation. Challenges and bottlenecks were categorized under new value chains, technological, environmental, institutional, economic and knowledge bottlenecks. The identified needs and barriers need to be properly addressed to speed up the transformation towards the circular economy in the mining industry. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available