Dr Nick Voulvoulis. Presentation at the Industrial Waste & Wastewater Treatment & Valorisation conference May 2015, Athens, Greece

Transcription

1 Centre for Environmental Policy Environmental Quality Research Mining in the context of sustainable management of natural capital: the importance of waste recycling and reuse Presentation at the Industrial Waste & Wastewater Treatment & Valorisation conference May 2015, Athens, Greece Dr Nick Voulvoulis Reader in Environmental Technology Head, Environmental Quality Research Group

2 Introduction 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. 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 Renewable Partly renewable Non-renewable Inexhaustible Conditionally inexhaustible Plants Animals Soil Peat Mineral deposits Sun Wind Geothermal energy Tidal energy Water Air 3

4 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. Exploration, Prospecting, Mine development, Exploitation, Reclamation.

5 Linear Economy Linear production and consumption: Conventional Perspective of Materials Flow 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 fastmoving consumer goods sector alone, about 80% of the $3.2 trillion material value is lost irrecoverably each year.

6 Source: EEA 2010 derived from SERI GLOBAL 2000, Friends of the Earth Europe (2009)

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8 Simplified world mining map

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13 Cement Plants: Chalk Raw Materials

14 Map showing locations of working mines and quarries in the United Kingdom

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16 The Linear Economy Current economic model of Take-Make-Dispose 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 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 CO 2eq emissions of 148 million tonnes, equivalent to taking approximately 47 million cars off the road per year.

17 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 Nearly a third of profit warnings issued by FTSE 350 companies in 2011 were attributed to rising resource prices

18 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;

19 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 Population Resources 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. Starvation, wars, migration - human population reduce considerably Resources Inhabitants Depletion of the environmental and natural resources Time Halt of the growing Pattern of the human population/resources in accordance with Malthus theory 20

21 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. Less Less Less Less Less 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

22 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. 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. Closing the loop: mining in the context of sustainable resources management

23 103 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 Group # 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 Group # 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 Group # 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 Group # END OF LIFE RECYCLING RATE (GLOBAL) FOR 62 METALS UNEP EVALUATION JANUARY, 2010 >50% >25-50% >10-25% 1-10% <1%???

24 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)

25 EU MSW Recycling rates

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28 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. There comes the circular economy

29 Economy s ability to grow while resource use is declining

30 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.

31 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 Closing the loop: Moving Towards a Closed System of Energy and Material Flows 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

32 Closing the loop Closed System of Linear Energy and Materials Flows

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34 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

35 Industrial Symbiosis A system is sustainable if, over its lifetime, it produces more than it consumes.

36 Cooperation beats competition collaboration replaces competition

37 It is the toast we want, not the toaster Rethink Redesign Reuse Recycle Remediate End of Pipe

38 Reduce Increase Policy Stability: Barrier

39 From products to services Reduce Increase Policy Stability: Barrier Product use Service increase

40 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.

41 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

42 From products to services 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

43 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.

44 The shift from continuous improvements to redesign

45 The paradigm shift in environmental protection Meta-system optimization System optimization Sub-system optimization Fighting symptoms

46 The way forward 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.

47 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.

48 but then again, who needs to change? survival is optional

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50 From products to services