Mining Value from Waste Initiative: Towards a Low Carbon and Circular Economy

The concept of tailings reprocessing is not new. However, due to the complexities ranging from S&T to material handling to policy and regulations, reprocessing successes have been limited. Several factors have been identified by stakeholders as requirements for success, such as economic considerations, engineering challenges, and policy and regulatory implications. Innovation underlies each of these factors. One of the biggest challenges is to reduce the environmental liabilities associated with mining waste, for which the financial securities may not be sufficient to ensure adequate protection. The recovery of metal values from tailings is potentially attractive and economically viable, particularly when combined with a concomitant reduction in environmental liabilities. Recently, Natural Resources Canada embarked on a pan-Canadian effort entitled ‘Mining Value from Waste’ to develop tools, technologies, and policies to de-risk and accelerate demonstration and full-scale waste reprocessing/repurposing projects with the goal to reduce mine waste liability and environmental impact, while providing local and national value.