2025

Over 10 billion tonnes of mine waste, known as tailings, are produced globally each year - posing a serious environmental and safety threat due to the risk of dam failures and toxic leaks. Yet hidden in this waste are valuable critical metals, including rare earth elements (REEs) essential for clean energy technologies like EVs and wind turbines. In a game-changing collaboration, GHD, CEA and partners aim to recover these critical minerals and repurpose the non-metallic tailings into low-carbon construction products such as geopolymers, aggregates, and bricks. The project will use advanced mineral separation and testing to unlock value from tailings and build a scalable roadmap for full-scale rollout. By turning mine waste into a resource, the initiative not only reduces emissions, waste, and risk, but also strengthens strategic supply chains and promotes a circular economy.