Grade and Tonnage Comparison of Anthropogenic Raw Materials and Ores for Cu, Zn, and Pb Recovery

Eirik Nøst Nedkvitne (), Dag Øistein Eriksen and Jon Petter Omtvedt
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Eirik Nøst Nedkvitne: Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway
Dag Øistein Eriksen: Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway
Jon Petter Omtvedt: Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, 0371 Oslo, Norway

Resources, 2023, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-9

Abstract: Primary metal production operates with large tonnages and takes advantage of economies of scale. Metal recycled from low-value waste streams, competing in the same global metal market as primary production, will be more competitive by also taking advantage of up-scaling. However, an overview of metal tonnages in low-value waste streams to see upscaling potential needs to be provided in the literature. In response, this study provides estimates of copper, zinc, and lead metal tonnages in waste incineration ash—A major waste stream going to landfills. Metal concentrations and tonnages are compared to tonnages and concentration grades found in ores. Copper, zinc, and lead concentration averages are about 3–5 times lower in ash compared to the worldwide average head grade of ores. Tonnages of metal in the ash generated from waste incineration in European countries bordering the Baltic and the North Sea are about 1/3 of mining metal output from Sweden, a leading mining country in the region. Therefore, incineration ash should be considered a significant potential Cu, Zn, and Pb metal source.

Keywords: MSW; MSWI; fly ash; bottom ash; copper; zinc; lead; low value waste stream; Europe; recycling; waste management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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