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Mining in the context of sustainable management of natural
capital: the importance of waste recycling and reuse
Centre for Environmental PolicyEnvironmental Quality Research
Presentation at the
Industrial Waste & Wastewater Treatment & Valorisation conference21-23 May 2015, Athens, Greece
Dr Nick VoulvoulisReader in Environmental Technology
Head, Environmental Quality Research Group
• Imperial College London embodies and delivers world class scholarship, education and research in science, engineering medicine and business, with particular regard to their application in industry, commerce and healthcare.
Introduction
• The Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial provides a unique research interface between science and technology and the economic and policy context in which it is developed and applied.
• The Environmental Quality Research Group focuses on the integrated scientific study of the environment with emphasis on waste, water and wastewater management. Complemented by the development and application of tools in sustainability analysis, multi-criteria optimisation and lifecycle assessment.
3
Exhaustible natural resources Inexhaustible natural resources
Renew-able
Inexhaustible
Partly renewableNon-renewable
Conditionallyinexhaustible
Plants Animals
SoilPeat
Mineral deposits
WaterAir
SunWind
Geothermal energyTidal energy
Environmental impacts of mining
• Throughout all of its five lifecycle stages, mining can cause numerous
impacts ranging from soil or water contamination resulting from metalliferous
mining and smelting to corruption of authorities in communities near mining
corporate activities. These can include:
• habitat loss,
• soil contamination,
• contamination of ground and surface water,
• creation of voids or sinkholes and
• physical disturbance for the construction of roads and infrastructure,
among others.
• Contamination caused by mining can affect the health of the local population.
Although physical and economic causalities are often overestimated in life cycle
assessments, as many mines have multiple functions and produce multiple
metals, potential environmental and social risks expose not only mining
companies directly, but also financial institutions, insurance companies, and
metals product buyers who might be subject to consumer pressure.
Prospecting,
Exploration,
Mine development,
Exploitation,
Reclamation.
Linear production and consumption: Conventional Perspective of Materials Flow
Linear Economy
• Production and consumption processes historically, have almost been entirely linear .
While in the past such processes were perhaps considered to be efficient,
consideration of the whole life costs of production and consumption puts a new
perspective on the real net benefits derived from many of these traditional practices.
• The current "take-make-dispose" approach results in massive waste; in the fast-
moving consumer goods sector alone, about 80% of the $3.2 trillion material value is
lost irrecoverably each year.
Source: EEA 2010 derived from SERI GLOBAL 2000, Friends of the Earth Europe (2009)
Simplified world
mining map
Cement Plants:
Chalk Raw Materials
Map showing locations of working
mines and quarries in the United
Kingdom
The Linear Economy
• World as unlimited resource and waste bin;
• 65 billion tonnes of raw materials enter the
economic system, p.a.;
• Around 60% of waste ends up in landfill…
Current economic model of ‘Take-Make-Dispose’
In the EU >€5 billion worth of materials Dumped in landfill or incinerators every year...
If this material was recycled:
• The material would have had a minimum potential monetary value of €5.25 billion.
• We would have saved CO2eq emissions of 148 million tonnes, equivalent to taking approximately 47 million cars off the road
per year.
• Traditionally, economies have
relied on cheap and
accessible energy and
materials, amongst other
factors, to function
effectively.
• High and volatile resource
prices over the last ten years
– with resource scarcity likely
to increase significantly in the
future.
• All the evidence suggests
that the relative decoupling of
growth and resource use will
simply slow the rate of
resource depletion and sharp
rises in material costs will
continue.
Nearly a third of profit warnings issued by FTSE 350
companies in 2011 were attributed to rising resource prices
Impact on Companies
Natural resources make up 45-50% of
costs for the average manufacturing
company;
Labour costs are falling as a percentage
of total costs, whilst materials and
energy costs rise;
Small Business Act (2010) estimates
that better resource use could save
European industry €630billion;
• We are using ever-increasing
quantities of the world’s resources
• Europe is particularly dependant
on imported resources
• There is an urgent need for more
policies to boost eco-efficiency
• The resources agenda will get
more important in future years, as
consumption in large countries –
e.g. China and India – continues
to increase.
• Business pressure is increasing
• E.g. Raw Materials prizes
20
• The future economic development and growth of the human population in many countries will
cause shortage of natural resources, energy, food and water significant for the development of
humanity.
• Global society will face difficult and complex environmental challenges.
Time
Pop
ula
tio
n
Inhabitants
Resources
Halt of the growing
Reso
urc
es
Starvation, wars, migration -
human population reduce
considerably Depletion of the
environmental and
natural resources
Pattern of the human
population/resources in
accordance with Malthus theory
Resource efficiency - More from less
• There is a clear need to re-assess the potential of our consumption in the context of
sustainable resource management and with a renewed focus on its role from a systems
perspective with appropriate pricing that is inclusive of all environmental costs.
• Secure cost-efficient access to secondary raw materials. as a complementary approach
to mining and resource-efficient manufacturing and use of materials
• Move from “waste” management to “resource” management, by prioritising the efficient
recovery of valuable materials from recyclable waste and end-of-life products
Less
Less
Less
Less
Less
Mining in the context of sustainable resources management
• Mining and mineral-processing wastes are one of the world's largest chronic waste concerns.
• If properly evaluated, mining waste can be reused to re-extract minerals, provide additional fuel for power plants, supply construction materials, and repair surface and subsurface land structures altered by mining activities themselves.
Closing the loop: mining in the context of sustainable resources management
• The chemical composition and geotechnical properties of the source rock determine which uses are most appropriate and whether reuse is economically feasible.
• Recycling valuable materials is a highly efficient way of reintroducing them into the economy, hence supporting value creation, while lowering environmental impacts and energy intensity of materials supply.
103
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98
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Pa
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Th
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Ac
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71
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Yb
69
Tm
68
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Ho
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65
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64
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60
Nd
59
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118
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(117)
(Uus)
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115
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Uub
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Ds
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Hs
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Hg
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77
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76
Os
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74
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52
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51
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49
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48
Cd
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Ag
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Pd
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Rh
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Ru
43
Tc
42
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41
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39
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5
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35
Br
34
Se
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As
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Ga
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Cr
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22
Ti
21
Sc
20
Ca
19
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4
18
Ar
17
Cl
16
S
15
P
14
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13
Al
12
Mg
11
Na
3
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Ne
9
F
8
O
7
N
6
C
5
B
4
Be
3
Li
2
2
He
1
H
1
Period
181716151413121110987654321Group
#
103
Lr
102
No
101
Md
100
Fm
99
Es
98
Cf
97
Bk
96
Cm
95
Am
94
Pu
93
Np
92
U
91
Pa
90
Th
89
Ac
** Actinides
71
Lu
70
Yb
69
Tm
68
Er
67
Ho
66
Dy
65
Tb
64
Gd
63
Eu
62
Sm
61
Pm
60
Nd
59
Pr
58
Ce
57
La
* Lanthanides
118
Uuo
(117)
(Uus)
116
Uuh
115
Uup
114
Uuq
113
Uut
112
Uub
111
Rg
110
Ds
109
Mt
108
Hs
107
Bh
106
Sg
105
Db
104
Rf
**88
Ra
87
Fr
7
86
Rn
85
At
84
Po
83
Bi
82
Pb
81
Tl
80
Hg
79
Au
78
Pt
77
Ir
76
Os
75
Re
74
W
73
Ta
72
Hf
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Ba
55
Cs
6
54
Xe
53
I
52
Te
51
Sb
50
Sn
49
In
48
Cd
47
Ag
46
Pd
45
Rh
44
Ru
43
Tc
42
Mo
41
Nb
40
Zr
39
Y
38
Sr
37
Rb
5
36
Kr
35
Br
34
Se
33
As
32
Ge
31
Ga
30
Zn
29
Cu
28
Ni
27
Co
26
Fe
25
Mn
24
Cr
23
V
22
Ti
21
Sc
20
Ca
19
K
4
18
Ar
17
Cl
16
S
15
P
14
Si
13
Al
12
Mg
11
Na
3
10
Ne
9
F
8
O
7
N
6
C
5
B
4
Be
3
Li
2
2
He
1
H
1
Period
181716151413121110987654321Group
#
103
Lr
102
No
101
Md
100
Fm
99
Es
98
Cf
97
Bk
96
Cm
95
Am
94
Pu
93
Np
92
U
91
Pa
90
Th
89
Ac
** Actinides
71
Lu
70
Yb
69
Tm
68
Er
67
Ho
66
Dy
65
Tb
64
Gd
63
Eu
62
Sm
61
Pm
60
Nd
59
Pr
58
Ce
57
La
* Lanthanides
118
Uuo
(117)
(Uus)
116
Uuh
115
Uup
114
Uuq
113
Uut
112
Uub
111
Rg
110
Ds
109
Mt
108
Hs
107
Bh
106
Sg
105
Db
104
Rf
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Ra
87
Fr
7
86
Rn
85
At
84
Po
83
Bi
82
Pb
81
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80
Hg
79
Au
78
Pt
77
Ir
76
Os
75
Re
74
W
73
Ta
72
Hf
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Ba
55
Cs
6
54
Xe
53
I
52
Te
51
Sb
50
Sn
49
In
48
Cd
47
Ag
46
Pd
45
Rh
44
Ru
43
Tc
42
Mo
41
Nb
40
Zr
39
Y
38
Sr
37
Rb
5
36
Kr
35
Br
34
Se
33
As
32
Ge
31
Ga
30
Zn
29
Cu
28
Ni
27
Co
26
Fe
25
Mn
24
Cr
23
V
22
Ti
21
Sc
20
Ca
19
K
4
18
Ar
17
Cl
16
S
15
P
14
Si
13
Al
12
Mg
11
Na
3
10
Ne
9
F
8
O
7
N
6
C
5
B
4
Be
3
Li
2
2
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1
H
1
Period
181716151413121110987654321Group
#
103
Lr
102
No
101
Md
100
Fm
99
Es
98
Cf
97
Bk
96
Cm
95
Am
94
Pu
93
Np
92
U
91
Pa
90
Th
89
Ac
** Actinides
71
Lu
70
Yb
69
Tm
68
Er
67
Ho
66
Dy
65
Tb
64
Gd
63
Eu
62
Sm
61
Pm
60
Nd
59
Pr
58
Ce
57
La
* Lanthanides
118
Uuo
(117)
(Uus)
116
Uuh
115
Uup
114
Uuq
113
Uut
112
Uub
111
Rg
110
Ds
109
Mt
108
Hs
107
Bh
106
Sg
105
Db
104
Rf
**88
Ra
87
Fr
7
86
Rn
85
At
84
Po
83
Bi
82
Pb
81
Tl
80
Hg
79
Au
78
Pt
77
Ir
76
Os
75
Re
74
W
73
Ta
72
Hf
*56
Ba
55
Cs
6
54
Xe
53
I
52
Te
51
Sb
50
Sn
49
In
48
Cd
47
Ag
46
Pd
45
Rh
44
Ru
43
Tc
42
Mo
41
Nb
40
Zr
39
Y
38
Sr
37
Rb
5
36
Kr
35
Br
34
Se
33
As
32
Ge
31
Ga
30
Zn
29
Cu
28
Ni
27
Co
26
Fe
25
Mn
24
Cr
23
V
22
Ti
21
Sc
20
Ca
19
K
4
18
Ar
17
Cl
16
S
15
P
14
Si
13
Al
12
Mg
11
Na
3
10
Ne
9
F
8
O
7
N
6
C
5
B
4
Be
3
Li
2
2
He
1
H
1
Period
181716151413121110987654321Group
#END OF LIFE RECYCLING RATE (GLOBAL) FOR 62 METALS
UNEP EVALUATION JANUARY, 2010
>50% >25-50% >10-25% 1-10% <1% ???
EUROPEAN UNION – WEEE EXAMPLE
• Only 30% of weee collected is properly recycled
• Less than 1% of the critical raw materials in weee is recovered out of
that 30%
• Less than 15% of precious metals are recovered
• Recycling technologies and systems works well for high volume
materials in less complex products (steel, plastic, paper)
EU MSW Recycling rates
There comes the circular economy
• Developed initially as a response to resources scarcity, is now impelled by the emerging world view that real economic growth needs to be fully aligned with sound environmental stewardship and social development in order to last
• The circular economy has emerged as a viable and attractive business model.
• The circular economy offers net materials cost savings in addition to opportunities for economic growth decoupled from resource consumption.
Economy’s ability to grow while resource use is declining
Responding to a real demand and pressure on resources, with appropriate pricing that is inclusive of all environmental costs, and with new opportunities in the wastes we generate, mining can become a sustainable economic activity.
Circular economy – Closing the loop Rather than releasing high quality wastes back into the environment while simultaneously paying to
extract it as minerals through traditional mining of raw materials, it makes more sense to close the loop
in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency.
The economic, environmental and sustainability benefits
The mining industry still faces challenges at all stages of the metals value chain, but recovery from
wastes is an important issue. In Europe for example, this is limited by leakage of waste outside of
Europe, to the continued lack of implementing measures to reduce landfilling in several EU Member
States
Closing the loop: Moving Towards a Closed System of Energy and Material Flows
Closing the loopClosed System of Linear Energy and Materials Flows
Industrial symbiosis
A system is sustainable if, over its lifetime, it produces more than
it consumes, puts back more than it takes and is able to provide
for most of its own needs.
Symbiosis as a closed loop value chain, an example of a circular economy of an urban centre
Industrial Symbiosis
A system is sustainable if, over its lifetime, it produces more than it consumes.
collaboration
replaces
competition
Cooperation beats
competition
RemediateEnd of Pipe
Recycle
Reuse
Redesign
Rethink‘It is the toast we want, not the toaster’
http://www.core77.com/blog/business/sustainability_through_resource_efficiency_focus_on_the_toast_not_the_toaster_21661.asp
IncreaseReduce
Policy Stability: Barrier
IncreaseReduce
Policy Stability: Barrier
Product use Service increase
From products to services
From products to services
Increasing product life and therefore encouraging people to
re-use or keep products for longer, is another attribute of
the circular economy.
The circular economy encourages people to keep products
for longer, which in turn creates business opportunities for
service packages that include repairs and maintenance
services and drive customer loyalty.
System innovation focusing on optimising the performance
of a product leading to its replacement by a service is
accompanied by both a significant decrease in material
consumption but not in economic gains.
From products to services
Service provision is often an economic activity where the buyer does not generally, except by exclusive contract, obtain exclusive ownership of the thing
purchased.
By composing and orchestrating the appropriate level of resources, skill, ingenuity, and experience for effecting specific benefits for service consumers,
service providers participate in an economy without the restrictions of carrying stock (inventory) or the
need to concern themselves with bulky raw materials.
A model of the resource and decisions inputs to providing a service. Source: Pears, A. (2004)Pears, A. (2004) Energy Efficiency – Its Potential: Some Perspectives and Experiences, Background paper for International Energy Agency Energy Efficiency Workshop, Paris, p 8. Available at http://www.naturaledgeproject.net/Documents/IEAENEFFICbackgroundpaperPearsFinal.pdf.
The range of potential technologies that can be used to provide the service of clean
clothes, and the dependence of each technology on energy resources (Pears, A., 2003)
Pears, A. (2004) Energy Efficiency – Its Potential: Some Perspectives and Experiences, Background paper for International Energy Agency Energy Efficiency Workshop, Paris, p 8. Available at
http://www.naturaledgeproject.net/Documents/IEAENEFFICbackgroundpaperPearsFinal.pdf
From products to services
Circular Economy Light bulbs
Selling light as a service makes LED lighting more desirable for
consumers, ensures a circular flow of the bulb’s critical materials
and reduces the lifetime energy consumption of lighting.
The shift from continuous improvements to redesign
The paradigm shift in environmental protection
Meta-system optimization
System optimization
Sub-system optimization
Fighting symptoms
• The mining industry still faces challenges at all stages of the metals value chain, but recovery from wastes is an important issue.
• In Europe for example, this is limited by leakage of waste outside of Europe, to the continued lack of implementing measures to reduce landfilling in several EU Member States.
• A Circular Economy Package currently in discussion could address some of these : • Secure cost-efficient access to secondary raw materials. as a complementary approach to
mining and resource-efficient manufacturing and use of materials• Move from “waste” management to “resource” management, by prioritising the efficient
recovery of valuable materials from recyclable waste and end-of-life products.
The way forward
Mining and waste industries at the heart of the
circular economy• Challenges for environmental policy
will increase in the future and the
role of mining will be central to any
discussions.
• The question remains if mining will
be perceived as part of the problem
or part of the solution for a
sustainable future.
• Before that, mining companies
might soon face the choice between
two roles: that of exploiters of
natural resources or that of
managers of natural resources
cycles.
…but then again ,who needs to change?
survival is optional…
From products to services
