<
https://theconversation.com/more-consumption-more-demand-for-resources-more-waste-why-urban-minings-time-has-come-232484>
"Pollution and waste, climate change and biodiversity loss are creating a
triple planetary crisis. In response, UN Environment Programme executive
director Inger Andersen has called for waste to be redefined as a valuable
resource instead of a problem. That’s what urban mining does.
We commonly think of mining as drilling or digging into the earth to extract
precious resources. Urban mining recovers these materials from waste. It can
come from buildings, infrastructure and obsolete products.
An urban mine, then, is the stock of precious metals or materials in the waste
cities produce. In particular, electronic waste, or e‑waste, has higher
concentrations of precious metals than many mined ores. Yet the UN Global
E‑waste Monitor estimates US$62 billion worth of recoverable resources was
discarded as e‑waste in 2022.
Urban mining can recover these “hidden” resources in cities around the world.
It offers sustainable solutions to the problems of resource scarcity and waste
management. And it happens in the very cities that are centres of
overconsumption and hotspots for the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate
change."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
