18
Especially when it comes to the reuse, repurposing and
recycling of overburden in mining operations (Figure 10).
The following presents an overview of current circular
economy initiatives in the mining industry, broken down
by the BM aspect elements, reuse, rewinding and recycling
62.
Reuse
Reuse is the implementation of systems to reuse raw
materials, materials and resources that are part of min-
ing processes, from water in mineral processing to carbon
sequestration to improve comminution and the economic
re-use of mining infrastructure in the post-mining era.
One significant development is the initiative by Rock
burst Technologies, a Canadian start-up, with its patent-
pending transcritical CO2 pulverization (tCO2) technol-
ogy, which uses carbon dioxide to break the rock during
crushing and is estimated to achieve energy savings of up to
55 %compared to conventional methods 63. In addition,
the early integration of carbon capture and emission reduc-
tion measures in conjunction with carbon credits represents
a profitable opportunity for methane recovery in mining
operations 64. Furthermore, one possibility is the integra-
tion of overburden in the construction of facilities or as
road construction material inside and outside the mine site.
Alliances can be formed with nearby quarries for processing
and screening. The reuse of overburden can then reduce
the cost of development tunnels and create a new source of
sustainable construction materials 65.
Repurposing
The establishment of programs specifically for the repurpos-
ing of components within the life cycle of a pit is important
by developing components that can be fully remanufac-
tured or by setting up buy-back services.
One initiative by vehicle manufacturer Epiroc was the
introduction of Battery as a Service (BaaS). This involves
purchasing the battery operating service for the electric
vehicle independently of the manufacturing OEM. Once
the defined service life has been reached, the old battery is
removed and replaced with a new pack, with the old batter-
ies being reconditioned and used for secondary applications
and later recycled 66.
Recycling
Recycling stands for the reuse of input materials, energy
from production, heat and waste water as well as machines,
recycled products and the circular economy. As well as the
recovery of valuable materials or energy from overburden,
such as the recovery of metals from spoil heaps.
Alternative approaches such as dry stacking as an alter-
native to tailings dams reduce the environmental footprint
of landfilling of mineral circular economy and are a sus-
tainable alternative used in mines such as Pogo and Greens
Creek in Alaska and Quebec 67. At the Gelado tailings dam
in Brazil, Vale uses iron ore tailings to produce pellets to
reduce the number of tailings disposed of in tailings piles or
dams. In addition, the carbon emissions of Vale’s customers
who purchase the high-quality pellets are also reduced 68.
Development of Concepts for the Integration of Circular
Economy Principles in Mines According to the Blue
Mining Approach
Integrating circular economy principles into mining opera-
tions is critical to reducing the environmental impact and
promoting the sustainability of mining projects. The Blue
Mining (BM) approach provides an overarching frame-
work that supports the adoption of the circular economy
through the reuse, repurposing and recycling of resources
in the mining process. By focusing on minimizing inputs
and outputs, this approach ensures that resources are used
more efficiently and waste is significantly reduced. The
BM approach is divided into three key steps that guide
the development and implementation of circular economy
improvements in mining.
Step 1: Identify potential uses
The first step is to identify all resources, processes and
requirements within the mining system. For underground
mines, this could include assessing the potential for reuse of
materials such as overburden or tailings that can be reused
for construction or backfilling. In addition, assessing sup-
ply risks for all elements, including systems and processes,
is critical. For example, identifying potential disruptions
in the supply of key materials and planning for alternative
uses or substitutes can improve the resilience and sustain-
ability of the mine.
Step 2: Identify conflicting uses and synergies
In this step, the focus is on identifying dependencies within
the mine ecosystem, with particular attention to the sourc-
ing, supply and use of all elements of the system. For
example, in underground mines, the introduction of cir-
cular practices may involve changes in material sourcing or
processing. Identifying the impact of these changes inside
and outside the mine and conducting a risk assessment is
critical. This includes understanding how optimized solu-
tions to reduce inputs and outputs can benefit the entire
system, resulting in cost savings and reduced environmen-
tal impacts.
Especially when it comes to the reuse, repurposing and
recycling of overburden in mining operations (Figure 10).
The following presents an overview of current circular
economy initiatives in the mining industry, broken down
by the BM aspect elements, reuse, rewinding and recycling
62.
Reuse
Reuse is the implementation of systems to reuse raw
materials, materials and resources that are part of min-
ing processes, from water in mineral processing to carbon
sequestration to improve comminution and the economic
re-use of mining infrastructure in the post-mining era.
One significant development is the initiative by Rock
burst Technologies, a Canadian start-up, with its patent-
pending transcritical CO2 pulverization (tCO2) technol-
ogy, which uses carbon dioxide to break the rock during
crushing and is estimated to achieve energy savings of up to
55 %compared to conventional methods 63. In addition,
the early integration of carbon capture and emission reduc-
tion measures in conjunction with carbon credits represents
a profitable opportunity for methane recovery in mining
operations 64. Furthermore, one possibility is the integra-
tion of overburden in the construction of facilities or as
road construction material inside and outside the mine site.
Alliances can be formed with nearby quarries for processing
and screening. The reuse of overburden can then reduce
the cost of development tunnels and create a new source of
sustainable construction materials 65.
Repurposing
The establishment of programs specifically for the repurpos-
ing of components within the life cycle of a pit is important
by developing components that can be fully remanufac-
tured or by setting up buy-back services.
One initiative by vehicle manufacturer Epiroc was the
introduction of Battery as a Service (BaaS). This involves
purchasing the battery operating service for the electric
vehicle independently of the manufacturing OEM. Once
the defined service life has been reached, the old battery is
removed and replaced with a new pack, with the old batter-
ies being reconditioned and used for secondary applications
and later recycled 66.
Recycling
Recycling stands for the reuse of input materials, energy
from production, heat and waste water as well as machines,
recycled products and the circular economy. As well as the
recovery of valuable materials or energy from overburden,
such as the recovery of metals from spoil heaps.
Alternative approaches such as dry stacking as an alter-
native to tailings dams reduce the environmental footprint
of landfilling of mineral circular economy and are a sus-
tainable alternative used in mines such as Pogo and Greens
Creek in Alaska and Quebec 67. At the Gelado tailings dam
in Brazil, Vale uses iron ore tailings to produce pellets to
reduce the number of tailings disposed of in tailings piles or
dams. In addition, the carbon emissions of Vale’s customers
who purchase the high-quality pellets are also reduced 68.
Development of Concepts for the Integration of Circular
Economy Principles in Mines According to the Blue
Mining Approach
Integrating circular economy principles into mining opera-
tions is critical to reducing the environmental impact and
promoting the sustainability of mining projects. The Blue
Mining (BM) approach provides an overarching frame-
work that supports the adoption of the circular economy
through the reuse, repurposing and recycling of resources
in the mining process. By focusing on minimizing inputs
and outputs, this approach ensures that resources are used
more efficiently and waste is significantly reduced. The
BM approach is divided into three key steps that guide
the development and implementation of circular economy
improvements in mining.
Step 1: Identify potential uses
The first step is to identify all resources, processes and
requirements within the mining system. For underground
mines, this could include assessing the potential for reuse of
materials such as overburden or tailings that can be reused
for construction or backfilling. In addition, assessing sup-
ply risks for all elements, including systems and processes,
is critical. For example, identifying potential disruptions
in the supply of key materials and planning for alternative
uses or substitutes can improve the resilience and sustain-
ability of the mine.
Step 2: Identify conflicting uses and synergies
In this step, the focus is on identifying dependencies within
the mine ecosystem, with particular attention to the sourc-
ing, supply and use of all elements of the system. For
example, in underground mines, the introduction of cir-
cular practices may involve changes in material sourcing or
processing. Identifying the impact of these changes inside
and outside the mine and conducting a risk assessment is
critical. This includes understanding how optimized solu-
tions to reduce inputs and outputs can benefit the entire
system, resulting in cost savings and reduced environmen-
tal impacts.