What waste management can learn from the traditional mining sector: Towards an integrated assessment and reporting of anthropogenic resources

Many organizations in Europe collect data and perform research on municipal solid waste and the secondary raw materials that can be produced from them through recycling, urban mining, or landfill mining. However, the information generated and presented thereby is often highly aggregated, while research activities are many a time isolated. Both reduce the usability of the data and information generated. In order to better structure the knowledge generation on secondary raw materials production from municipal solid waste, we suggest to learn from the traditional raw materials mining industry how to perform an integrated assessment and reporting of anthropogenic resources. This is exemplarily shown for the case of the anthropogenic resource municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash and air-pollution control residues. A network of expert institutions from countries throughout Europe was build up to compile the information on legal and technological aspects for the recovery of different secondary raw materials from these residues, including construction minerals, metals, and salts. We highlight in our article the strength of the combined knowledge of an expert network not only on legal and technological, but also local and site-specific aspects of the recovery of secondary raw materials. By doing so, we hope to kick-off a discussion for how to organize and implement a structure for a better management of knowledge on anthropogenic resources, in order to provide a sustainable supply of secondary raw materials for a greener and more circular economy.