B (COST Action MINEA) Mining the European Anthroposphere

01.05.2016 - 30.04.2020
Research funding project

Traditional mining continuously shifts raw materials from the geosphere to the anthroposphere. These materials accumulate in anthropogenic deposits (e.g. cars, buildings) and pose a resource potential that includes the secondary materials of tomorrow. To provide information on the future availability of primary materials, inventories of geogenic deposits (resources) and the economically extractable shares (reserves) have been developed. In contrast, information on the availability of secondary materials is lacking. Even though the amount of materials in the anthroposphere has risen dramatically in the last few decades, the resource potential in anthropogenic deposits has not been explored in an adequate way. This prevents, firstly, a comparison of resources/reserves between primary and secondary materials and, secondly, integrated information on the availability of materials from reaching future commodity markets. To overcome this gap, this COST Action aims to actuate the reporting of material resources/reserves in the anthroposphere. The focus is on (1) construction and demolition waste, (2) waste regained from landfills and (3) solid residues from waste incineration. Today, there are large differences concerning the recovery of secondary materials from these three types of waste across Europe due to isolated national research, waste management technologies and policy strategies. A pan-European approach is needed to establish a common knowledge base for the assessment of resource potentials on various spatial levels. By means of coordinating national research activities in European countries, this COST Action is striving for a breakthrough in the integrated assessment of primary and secondary resource potential, which is a prerequisite for effective resource management.

People

Project leader

Project personnel

Institute

Grant funds

  • COST Office (EU) European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Call identifier CA15115

Research focus

  • Sustainable Production and Technologies: 50%
  • Materials Characterization: 50%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Sekundärrohstoffesecondary resources
städtische RohstoffmineUrban Mining
DeponierückbauLandfill mining
Recyclingtechnologierecycling technology
Ressourcenklassifikationresource classification

Publications