The continuing growth in the demand for industrial and critical raw materials for industrial development is a challenge the EU has faced from technological, economic, social and environmental perspectives. Raw materials exploitation and processing are inevitably accompanied by the production of large volumes of extractive waste (EW), successively stored in extractive waste facilities or connected to ongoing exploitation and processing phases. Contemporary, vast quantities of waste materials associated with construction and demolition activities (CDW) and infrastructures (excavated waste) have to be managed and (hopefully) recovered/recycled. Thus, managing mineral waste (CDW, EW, excavated waste) represents a challenge and a potential to take advantage. Promoting sustainable mining (from natural and anthropogenic deposits) and a circular economy represent a top-rating challenge for transitioning to a greener and more digital society. This challenge had to be faced in an interdisciplinary manner, involving all the actors dealing with raw materials supply: experts (geologists, engineers, environmental scientists, economists, social scientists, etc.), public administrations, industries, policymakers, etc. Further, the promotion of circular economy and sustainable mining principles has to be accompanied by financial tools and updated legislation.
The main topics that will be discussed in this session cover, but are not limited to:
The main topics that will be discussed in this session cover, but are not limited to:
- Characterization of geomaterials, their environmental interactions and decay.
- Characterization of industrial residue resources and their environmental assessment.
- Exploitation and valorization of secondary raw materials from waste.
- Estimation and (potential) exploitation of critical raw materials associated with extractive waste.
- Multidisciplinary investigation of ore deposits to determine the best scenarios for RM exploitation and processing (with contemporary exploitation of SRM, by-products, etc.).
- Modern tools and technologies to estimate the quality and quantities of resources present in extractive waste (from decision support tools to the use of A.I.).
- Role of scientists in the transition to sustainable mining.
- Case studies about RM/CRM/SRM exploitation of extractive waste.
CONVENERS: Sossio Fabio Graziano (Università di Napoli), Gabriele Baldassarre (Politecnico di Torino), Giovanna Antonella Dino (Politecnico di Torino), Gianluca Iezzi (Università di Chieti)
sgraziano@unina.it