URBAN MINIG: An unavoidable reality
The intention to write this article arose after a conversation with a colleague on various environmental issues. During our discussion, she mentioned something that caught my attention: urban mining. I asked her to tell me more about the topic and I was fascinated. I knew from that moment on that I had to share what this concept is all about, a concept that has been around for a while now and that I believe will continue to gain more traction. All the elements are there: increased waste of electrical materials, a highly polluting and risky traditional mining sector, the search for a circular economy, and a delicate international scenario.
The term urban mining first appeared in the 1960s. It can simply be defined as the recovery of valuable elements and minerals from technological, construction, and urban waste in general, but mainly technological waste. This concept has become relevant lately due to the increasing amount of electronic waste that is being generated. We are moving towards a world more and more dependent on electronic devices and this naturally implies an increase in the amount of this type of waste. In 2005, around 20 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste were generated, by 2019 the amount had risen to 53.5Mt [1]. There are many factors related to this increment, I mentioned earlier our dependence on electronic devices, other important factors are the reduced life span of devices, the increase of human population, and the lack of repair culture among others.
The importance of urban mining would not be understood without talking about rare earth minerals. Rare-earths are a group of 17 elements with particular magnetic, luminescent and electrochemical properties that make them vital for tech development.
They are called rare because, although quite abundant, they are rarely found in high enough concentration to be worth extracting. They are wildly used across many sectors: renewables, defense, electronics…
Rare Earth Usage across sectors.
Source: South Eatern Europe security center
Extracting these minerals is taking a heavy toll on the environment. In China, for example, there are documented cases of soil and water contamination with ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride, substances related to rare earth mining. This endangers local populations who run the risk of health damage when they come into contact with these toxic substances. Also, perhaps most at risk are the miners themselves, who are exposed to high concentrations of radiation associated with these mines.
China's almost absolute control over these minerals has given it a lot of leverage when negotiating with other countries. One of the countries that suffered from this power was Japan in 2010 after the latter detained a Chinese fishing vessel from entering Japanese waters. This action caused the Beijing government to suspend all exports of rare minerals to the island, severely affecting their technology sector [2].
The clash with China caused the Japanese to start looking for alternatives to alleviate their dependence on raw materials from the neighboring country. This search led to Japan's powerful urban mining sector, which gained popularity after they pledged to manufacture all 2020 (now 2021) Olympic medals from recovered metals. It is estimated that the amount of gold that can be recovered from the mountains of electronic waste in that nation is as much as 6,800 tonnes - more than the underground reserves of South Africa [3].
Urban mining is a crucial concept within the circular economy. By recovering valuable materials from waste, this can be reintroduced into the production chain. What used to be waste now becomes a raw material, which in turn helps to reduce the exploitation of natural mines. It also benefits the supply chain as the raw material is closer to the place where it will be used.
For the benefits of urban mining to be realised, both government and industry have a major responsibility. Governments must create an environment that facilitates the transition to a circular economy. As well as establishing policies that favor recycling over landfilling. On the other hand, companies must be more conscious of how they design their products and adopt measures that allow for a product's long life and ease of repair. In other words, they should adopt a sustainable design.
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[1] Global e-waste monitor 2020
