GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Landfills contain vast amounts of metals, plastics and other resources, which if exploited would make it possible for the recycling industry to grow into a more important material supplier. Research also concludes that such a strategy, landfill mining, could contribute in solving wider societal concerns in terms of resource scarcity and unevenly distributed resources among regions, local pollution and land management issues and steadily increasing emissions from the primary production sector.

This project aims to develop concepts, strategies and measures for making landfill mining a viable activity for individual actors and for society at large. Through case-studies, systems analyses, technology surveys and interviews, the following questions will be addressed: Which are the most critical challenges for realizing landfill mining in a profitable and environmentally motivated way? To what extent and in which different ways can these challenges be addressed by technical, organizational, policy and market measures and changes? Which are the incentives and capacity of different societal actors in implementing such measures and changes? Beyond applicable concepts, the project is expected to identify key actors for facilitating implementation, provide guidance on essential topics for further knowledge and technology development and specify needs for changes in policy and market conditions.

PROJECT GOALS

The project aims to develop concepts and suggest activitites which can transform resource extraction from landfills into a sustainable activity for concered actors and for society at large.

FUNDING TYPE: Industry: Stena Metall