πŸ“• subnode [[@neil/urban mining]] in πŸ“š node [[urban-mining]]

urban mining

Urban [[mining]].

When we talk about urban mining, we're talking about mining what we have already made and brought into an urban context,” explains Jessika Richter, a researcher at Lund University, Sweden. β€œWe can mine many of these same materials out of our products, so not all of them end up in landfill.”

– [[Can urban mining help to save the planet?]]

β€œWhat enables urban mining is well-sorted [[waste streams]],” continues Richter. β€œWe should sort our streams at collection, as the more it is separated when we get it back, the lower the cost. Same with [[landfill]] – the more sorted the landfill, the easier it is to mine.”

– [[Can urban mining help to save the planet?]]

Elements found in e-waste, such as gold, silver, platinum, indium and gallium, are not only expensive but essential for greener future technology, including [[wind turbines]], [[solar panels]] and [[electric cars]]. If they end up in landfill, these materials can be highly hazardous, poisoning land and waterways. In 2019, a record 53.6 million metric tonnes of electronic waste was generated worldwide.

– [[Can urban mining help to save the planet?]]

While traditional mining for raw materials tends to be energy and capital intensive, urban mining is labour intensive.

– [[Can urban mining help to save the planet?]]

β€œThe cooperative movement in countries such as Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and elsewhere may be a source of inspiration for policymakers to turn to for lessons on how to improve urban mining,” Dias continues. β€œSupport for organising, social protection and the design of inclusive urban policies is key to prevent exploitation of waste pickers.”

– [[Can urban mining help to save the planet?]]

Can those places be turned into sites of beauty and value, can the community have governance over those processes, as opposed to just a company coming in yet again?”

[[Self-governance]] is a part of it then.

πŸ“– stoas
β₯± context