Urban mining comminution technological applications as the most important part of circular economy

József Faitli, Miia John, Imre Gombkötő, Eveliina Repo:  

Urban mining comminution technological applications as the most important part of circular economy – A review 

Human civilization relies on materials, traditionally sourced through earth sciences and engineering. However, the growing need for better resource management has led to the concept of the circular economy. This involves optimizing the production–consumption cycle through efficient energy use, circular design, and sustainable behavior, alongside extended product use, reuse, and remanufacturing. Crucially, the circular economy emphasizes material circulation. Urban mining plays a key role here, involving the recovery of materials from man-made sources like buildings, infrastructure, and products. This review highlights industrial examples of urban mining and waste-to-material recycling, particularly where mechanical processing—such as comminution and classification—is essential. It follows EU waste classifications and presents typical equipment and separation processes through selected case studies.  

https://ojs.uni-miskolc.hu/index.php/geosciences/article/view/3459/2694