Raw Materials and Circular Economy: Concepts and Evidence

Dear Colleagues,

The establishment of a sustainable supply chain for raw materials is among the most emerging priorities in modern societies. The majority of critical and valuable raw materials with direct impact in renewable energy generation, high-technology applications, and industrial processes are those produced by mining activities. As a traditional economy sector, metal and mineral exploration and processing meets many challenges in adopting a new approach toward environmental neutrality, the optimization of energy, the efficient use of resources, and circular economy practices and approaches. In particular, the fields of interest involve the design of novel mining and metallurgical processes, new methods for mineral exploration, incorporation of digital technologies, exploitation of secondary products or wastes through innovative products, end-of-life recycling, and long-term environmental safety.

In this context, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect new ideas on the possible engagement of mining and metallurgical processes with sustainability development goals through evidence derived by high-impact research studies and assessment approaches. Moreover, in this Special Issue, we aspire to present a selection of original and innovative papers highlighting the most challenging aspects relating to the comprehensive integration of life cycle thinking in mining and metallurgical processes. Concepts, challenges, perspectives, and opportunities will shed light on the dynamic and forward-looking nature of environmental impact assessment tools especially in light of the sustainable development goals and the priorities of raw materials in the circular economy. Successful paradigms of environmental impact assessment methodology and LCA application on specific case studies in the mining and metallurgical industry are also welcomed.

The Special Issue will also welcome selected papers on related topics from “The International Conference on Raw Materials and Circular Economy” (RawMat2021, www.rawmat2021.gr).

Dr. George Banias
Dr. Konstantinos Kontogiannopoulos
Dr. Evangelos Tzamos
Guest Editors

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