Mining’s new frontier: Recycling metal for a more sustainable future

The consumption of metals has increased alongside the development of industry, leading to the extraction of more ore. However, ore extraction is also becoming more difficult, particularly as the industrial sector tries to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Given these challenges, recycling metals is becoming an important and practical alternative to extraction. Recycling could not only help meet the rapidly increasing demand for metals, it could also help reduce emissions and minimize other environmental impacts such as waste.

According to the International Energy Agency, recycling metals and minerals from end-of-life equipment and scrap – also known as electronic waste (e-waste) – could help satisfy primary supply reduction requirements in its Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario. However, there is a significant disparity in recycling rates and opportunities among different materials.

Copper, for example, has one of the highest recycling rates compared to other metals. Between 2009 and 2018, global copper consumption averaged 26.7 million tonnes annually, with 32% (8.7 million tonnes per year) of this coming from recycled sources. Even when excluding defective products recycled during production, the recycling rate remains around 56% of copper produced globally. Still, this means nearly half of the copper produced is discarded rather than recycled. Increasing the recycling rate could satisfy a significant portion of the rising demand for copper from growing industries like artificial intelligence (AI), data centres, clean energy technology and electric vehicles. Such demand is expected to increase by 50% by 2040 under the IEA's Net Zero Emissions Scenario.

Recycling metals eliminates waste generated during the production process. Additionally, carbon dioxide emitted during production of copper could be reduced by up to 85% through recycling. Unfortunately, recycling processes are difficult to manage and monitor, however. Approximately 64 million tons of electronic products containing a high amount of copper were produced worldwide in 2022, but only 14 million tons – or 22% – were recycled.

If not properly recycled, useful resources such as silver, nickel, cobalt and lithium could be discarded, leading to environmental pollution and resource wastage by electric vehicle and solar panel manufacturers – the very industries that are trying to promote more environmentally friendly technologies.

There are several reasons why valuable resources contained in discarded metals are often not properly recycled.

First is the technical complexity of separating valuable metals from composite products like electronics, which often contain multiple types of metals interwoven in tiny amounts. This makes extraction difficult and expensive, particularly when the process requires specialized facilities or technology not widely available.

Industries and consumers may also lack awareness of the full environmental cost of discarding metals – from greenhouse gas emissions to resource depletion. Compounding this is the inconsistency in recycling infrastructure and accessibility. Some regions simply don’t have convenient or efficient programmes for recycling metals, meaning even well-intentioned efforts can be stymied by logistical barriers. The sheer convenience of disposal, combined with a lack of incentives to separate out recyclable materials, can reinforce a throwaway culture that keeps recycling rates stubbornly low.

To increase recycling rates it is essential to ensure that electronic products, batteries, solar panels and various plastic products are all properly recycled at the end of their life cycles. Here are four strategies to boost recycling in the mining and metals industry:

1. Taking a comprehensive approach to circularity

Recycling alone may not fully address the growing demand for materials or the environmental challenges associated with resource extraction. A broader approach that emphasizes the entire lifecycle of products is necessary. This includes designing products with recyclability in mind, reducing material use and extending product life cycles. Additionally, fostering circular business models, such as product-as-a-service (when customers pay a recurring fee to access a product rather than buying it outright), can reduce the strain on primary resources.

2. Advancing recycling technology

Technology is critical to enhancing recycling efforts and making them more efficient. Robotics and machine learning, for example, can optimize sorting processes, identify different materials and reduce contamination in recycling streams. By investing in cutting-edge technologies, both the quality and quantity of recycled materials could be improved.

3. Creating supportive policies

Effective policies are essential to boosting recycling. Governments could introduce subsidies for recycling companies and provide tax breaks to support the development of new recycling technologies, for example. Governments could also impose fees or penalties on waste disposal while promoting eco-friendly alternatives. Policy support should focus on fostering companies capable of recovering and processing a wide range of materials.

4. Encouraging multi-stakeholder and cross-industry collaboration

Increasing the recycling rates of products containing various metals and plastics requires collaboration among related industries including energy, electronics, plastics and non-ferrous metal smelting. These collaborations could help introduce traceability in the value chain, for example, supporting more effective collection, separation and repurposing of the materials, while also creating a more economically attractive business case for recycling.

Instead of being seen only as a primary resource extraction industry, mining and metals companies can be vital enablers of the entire lifecycle of metals – from initial extraction to efficient recycling and reintroduction of materials into the supply chain. They should see this as an investment in environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and in sustainable resource acquisition for the future.

Mining companies are already investing in recycling metals and minerals to reduce their environmental impact, diversify revenue streams and address rising demand in a sustainable way. Examples of such leadership includes partnerships with vehicle manufacturers to recover battery metals, the development of closed-loop recycling systems and building e-waste recycling networks.

Mining and metals companies can lead cross-industry collaborations, working with manufacturers, technology firms and governments to establish standards and practices that enhance the efficiency of recycling metals and minerals across sectors. Such comprehensive support will foster a more effective recycling ecosystem, ultimately benefiting both the environment and resource management.

For the mining and metals industry, promoting recycling will be key, not only to improving efficiency and meeting ESG targets, but also to building trust in a more circular economy.