I appreciated the Sustainability Magazine coverage of how cutting-edge sorting technology is helping reshape the mining sector by turning what was once waste into economic value and usable material. The scale of waste rock and tailings in mining has historically been treated as a cost and a liability, but recent innovations in sensor-based sorting are opening new opportunities to reduce environmental impact and improve operations.
The key to this shift is advanced sensor technology that can detect unwanted or dangerous material such as acid-forming sulphides at high resolution. By removing these fractions early in the process, mining operations can recover clean, stable rock that is suitable for infrastructure uses like road base or plant foundations, or that can even be sold as a new revenue stream rather than simply stockpiled.
In my view, these kinds of innovations are vital for sustainable growth in sectors that are resource-intensive by nature. They exemplify how combining smart engineering with a circular-economy mindset helps reduce waste, extend the life of existing sites, and make better use of materials already in hand. Scaling approaches like this encourages the industry to rethink traditional waste streams and generate value without compromising environmental stewardship.
TOMRA's sensor-based sorting technology transforms mining waste into profitable infrastructure materials and boosting efficiency across the European Union Mining waste represents one of the European Union's largest waste streams, according to the European Commission. This waste can contain dangerous substances, and inadequate management could lead to severe consequences for both people and the environment. However, TOMRA is working with mining companies to transform this waste into clean, profitable infrastructure materials.
https://sustainabilitymag.com/news/tomra-mining-waste-profit-sorting-tech
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