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From Tailings to Value: Reprocessing Mining Waste for Profit, Sustainability, and Extended Mine Life

The green energy transition is accelerating demand for critical and precious minerals, requiring ramped-up mining and a secure, reliable metal supply to power sustainable progress. Current projections predict a large supply deficit of these minerals, regardless of the increased amount of mining activity. As a result, major industry players are turning to alternative solutions for more efficient and sustainable mining activities. 

Mine tailings reprocessing stands out as a potential solution to meet some of the mineral demand in the short term, while new projects ramp up. Today, many of the world’s tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are the result of previous, often less efficient mining operations that relied on outdated mineral processing methods. What’s more, many mine waste deposits have not been optimally disposed of, leading to environmental issues and a push for stricter oversight and more sustainable measures towards tailings treatment. 

Unfortunately, many TSFs pose significant environmental risks, such as:

• Waste rock leaching heavy metals into surface water.
• Acid-generating ores.
• Unconsumed reagents used in gold leaching activity.
• Residual harmful chemicals used in traditional processing methods.
• Dust-generating materials that impact local communities.

However, now that economically viable processing methods such as Glycine Leaching Technology are emerging, tailings are increasingly being seen as a strategic asset, where untapped value can be recovered.

The Scale of the Mine Tailings Challenge

Increased mining activity, declining ore grades, and increasingly complex mineralogy have led to tailings storage facilities (TSFs) becoming larger, growing exponentially in size, and further adding to environmental and safety risks. The pace at which new TSFs have been built across the world accelerated following the Second World War. Roughly 43 TSFs were built in each decade between 1940 and 1960.

In places such as South America, 78 TSFs were reportedly built between 1970 and 1980, in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia (Warburton et al). In the last decade, 320 new TSFs were opened, bringing the total number of mine waste facilities up to 3,500, according to reported data. Commodities such as copper (46%) account for the largest contribution to global tailings, while gold (21%), iron (9%), coal (8%), phosphate (4%), lead & zinc (3%), and nickel (2%) account for tailings activity (LePan).

However, regulators, investors, and communities are demanding increased accountability, sustainability, and circularity in mining practices, following a series of high-profile dam failures. There is a global drive for mining companies to leverage technological advancements to reprocess and repurpose these waste materials, with an increased focus on metal leaching optimization.

The Age of Reprocessing and Repurposing

In response to declining ore grades, rising demand, and mounting regulatory pressure, mining operators are adopting new technologies to recover untapped resources and reduce ecological impact. In line with the drive for increased circularity, there is a growing trend to recover metal from e-waste. 

Furthermore, the emergence of specialized tailings waste management firms and leaching optimization practices has seen many taking advantage of the increased demand for critical minerals, while exploring opportunities to extract residual minerals that earlier processing methods could not recover.

Leveraging Advanced Technology

Recent technological innovations have helped unlock the feasibility of reprocessing tailings. 

Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT)

Developed in partnership with Curtin University, Draslovka’s eco-friendly Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT) helps to address the Gold, Silver, and Copper supply shortfall through profitable tailings re-processing, which: 

• Unlocks additional value from mine waste at a fraction of the cost.
• Enhances environmental compliance, reducing carbon footprint and reducing the risk of tailings incidents.
• Possibly extends mine life and lowers cut-off grade. 

GLT reduces the need for traditional reagents typically used, such as sodium cyanide and sulfuric acid. In conjunction, it has been shown to improve recovery for certain mineralogy, assist in reducing operational expenses (OpEx), while enhancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) benefits. Glycine, a biodegradable reagent, selectively leaches precious and base metals, minimizing the dissolution of contaminants such as arsenic and mercury. 

Research shows that the application of GLT can reduce the consumption of sodium cyanide by up to 90% and replace harmful chemicals such as sulfuric acid. The reduction in these reagents lowers processing costs while treating acid-generating ores and addressing waste rock that is leaching heavy metals into water.

Tailings reprocessing can play a key role in lowering a mine’s carbon footprint. By leveraging innovative technologies that use fewer harmful chemicals, operators can reduce waste while recovering additional minerals and materials for new sources of revenue. GLT has also been shown to reduce carbon emissions by between 14% and 35%, depending on the processing techniques used (SKARN Associates).

Real Time Mineral Analysis

Another technological advancement that is steadily gaining momentum is the use of real-time mineral analyzers on tailings streams. This enables the measurement of contaminants, such as cyanide and mercury, post the detox circuit to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. Draslovka’s Blue Cube in-line mineral analyzers have been custom-developed for mineral processing to assist operators in making more informed decisions and optimizing their mineral beneficiation processes. 

Resource Efficiencies

The development of new mines is a lengthy process that can take 10-20 years from the discovery of the first deposit (How Gold Is Mined: The Lifecycle of a Gold Mine).
In addition to the delayed return on investment with very high up-front capital requirements, obtaining a new License to Operate is becoming increasingly difficult, as many governments seek to nationalize assets to secure local supply chains of critical minerals.

Alternatives like tailings reprocessing provide several benefits: 

• Shorter time to market and return on investment.
• Lower operating and capital expenditure.
• Avoidance of additional environmental impact in new regions.
• More sustainable path to mineral recoveries.

Circularity in Minerals Processing

Circular Hydrometallurgy refers to the design of more energy-efficient and resource-efficient flowsheets that consume minimum quantities of reagents, which may result in reduced waste (Binnemans). Creating circularity in mining depends on reducing material loss, often achieved by reusing by-products to deliver both financial and environmental gains. Such approaches can extend mine lifecycles with lower capital requirements and reduced investor risk, with one study highlighting digitalization of ore processing as a key enabler of these circular practices (Kinnunen et al.).

Furthermore, circularity in mineral processing and leaching optimization can be enhanced through the application of Glycine Leaching Technology within the framework of Circular Hydrometallurgy. By understanding the Twelve Principles of Circular Hydrometallurgy, mineral processing plants can align near and long-term objectives while in pursuit of achieving circularity. In the following illustration, Prof. Koen Binnemans and Peter Jones from KU Leuven University outline the key objectives of achieving circular hydrometallurgy.

Figure 1: Twelve Principles of Circular Hydrometallurgy (Binnemans and Jones).

Furthermore, insight shared by Prof. Jacques Eksteen from Curtin University indicates that the application of glycine leaching systems can meet all twelve requirements of circularity as theorized by Binnemans and Jones (Eksteen).

Future Outlook: Remining to Unlock Value

Global demand for Copper, Gold, and Silver will exceed projected industry supply by 15 – 24% or more in 2035. Operators therefore have the opportunity to increase investment by growing production through implementing a world-leading mine waste re-processing and remediation program. Tailings reprocessing programs will unlock revenue from overlooked and untapped resources, all while reducing environmental risk and securing a local supply of critical minerals to fuel the global green energy transition, all without any major capital investment.

By targeting untapped resources, mining operators can reduce their carbon footprint, allowing them to address the critical issues of mine waste while leveraging more innovative technological solutions to generate additional revenue. Tailings reprocessing could become the shift the mining industry needs to address the growing minerals supply gap, which is now possible through the latest advancements in processing technology.

Sources: 

1. Charles, Ryan. "From Waste to Wealth: Understanding the Role of Tailings in Modern Mining." Crux Investor, 20 Jun. 2025, www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/from-waste-to-wealth-understanding-the-role-of-tailings-in-modern-mining. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
2. Warburton, Moira, et al. "The Looming Risk of Tailings Dams." Crux Investor, 19 Dec. 2019, www.reuters.com/graphics/MINING-TAILINGS1/0100B4S72K1/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
3. LePan, Nicholas. "Visualizing the Size of Mine Tailings." Visual Capitalist, 15 May 2021, elements.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-size-of-mine-tailings/. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
4. SKARN Associates, 22 April 2024, “Carbon Intensity Impact When Using GlyCat At Different Gold Assets.” Retrieved from: /content/files/downloads/SKARN%20Report%20-%20Impact%20of%20GlyCat%20on%20Carbon%20Intensity.pdf 
5. "How Gold Is Mined: The Lifecycle of a Gold Mine." World Gold Council, www.gold.org/gold-supply/gold-mining-lifecycle. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
6. Araujo, Francisco, et al. "Recycling and Reuse of Mine Tailings: A Review of Advancements and Their Implications." Geosciences, vol. 12, no. 9, 2022, https://doi.org/319. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
7. Kinnunen, Päivi, et al. "A Review of Circular Economy Strategies for Mine Tailings." Cleaner Engineering and Technology, vol. 9, 2022, https://doi.org/100499. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
8. Binnemans, K., Jones, P.T. The Twelve Principles of Circular Hydrometallurgy. J. Sustain. Metall. 9, 1–25 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-022-00636-3. Accessed 4 September 2025.
9. Eksteen, Jacques, Circular Hydrometallurgy and Glycine Leaching Technology. Draslovka, 11 February 2025. https://www.arena-international.com/event/circular-hydrometallurgy-and-glycine-leaching-technology/. Webinar
10. Gairola, Shikha Uniyal, et al. "Sustainable Mining: Reducing Waste and Enhancing Resource Efficiency." Discover Civil Engineering, vol. 2, 2025, https://doi.org/100499. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
11. Niyonzima, J. Christophe, et al. "New Optimization Understanding of the Removal of Harmful Elements from Gold Tailings: A Review." JOM, vol. 74, 2022, p. 1641–1650, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-021-05097-9. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
12. "Seven Ways ICMM Members Are Exploring Innovative Technologies to Reduce Mine Tailings." ICMM, 18 Sept. 2024, www.icmm.com/en-gb/case-studies/2024/exploring-innovative-technologies-mine-tailings. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
13. "Harnessing the Potential of Tailings Recycling and Reprocessing." Canadian Critical Minerals Research, www.criticalmineralsresearch.com/articles/tailings-recycling-and-reprocessing. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Additional Resources: 

1. Global Tailings Portal: Tailing Dam.
2. Burgex Mining Consultants: Digging Up the Past, Reprocessing Mine Tailings | Burgex Mining Consultants.
3. Vale: Circular mining - Vale.
4. AusIMM: Turning mine waste into value – sustainable strategies for modern mines.