The demand for raw materials and critical raw materials (e.g., REE, PGE, Li, Co, Ga, Ge, Re) is continuously growing, something which is highly connected to the development of climate-benefit technologies as well as high-technology applications. This demand will be more and more dependent on which technologies will become dominant in the marketplace, and the supply of raw materials is highly connected to international geopolitics strategies and global market conditions, as most of them are exploited in non-EU countries. Raw material supply is still guaranteed via ore deposit exploitation, as the recycling of critical elements (e.g., REE, Li) is neither feasible nor economically convenient; consequently, mining activities have increasingly been improving at a global level, and modern and more efficient technologies and mining techniques need to be applied to guarantee a sustainable mining. In the past, mining activity and extractive waste management were approached, mainly considering the environmental hazards and landscape degradation, but currently, the huge volumes of past mineral waste can represent an important source of raw materials. This highly interdisciplinary theme can therefore involve a wide scientific audience, from geologists to environmental and management engineers, to economists.
Keywords: Critical raw materials; Sustainable mining; Circular economy; REE; LCA; Mining waste; Quarries and mines; Raw materials; Environmental impact; Waste recycling.