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Sustainable georesources management: from mining and quarrying planning to waste recycling (from waste flow and extractive waste facilities)

Geology applied to the exploitation of natural resources

Staff

Contacts

ERC Sectors

PE1_1 - Logic and foundations

Activity

The new challenges that Europe is called to face lead to new paradigms in the management of georesources (EC 2020), such as to guarantee sustainable and "zero impact" development: sustainable in the environmental (e.g. EIA), economic (e.g. LCA/CBA) and social (e.g. S-LCA) spheres, and which must lead to total and integrated resources exploitation, technological developments and decision-making processes aimed at enhancing their current potential and preserving it for future generations. The challenges, faced interdisciplinary, concern

the responsible resources exploitation through the investigation of (quarry and mine) deposits and the design for extraction, in line with the EU principle of waste production reduction;
the recovery and recycling of waste produced during the different stages of the extractive activities (extraction, treatment and management), in line with the circular economy;
the sustainable exploitation, also seen as reclamation activities, of historical extractive waste facilities, in line with landfill mining approach.

European Commission, 2020.c. Communication from the Commission EUROPE 2020: A Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth

Figure 1. Flow chart of responsible resources exploitation: from waste production prevention to recovery/recycling of produced waste (circular approach). Example related to the sustainable exploitation of ornamental stone quarries

Figure 2. Overview of (Enhanced)LFM Concept, applied at EW (Dino et al. 2018)

Dino, G.A., Rossetti, P., Perotti, P., Alberto, W., Sarkka, H., Coulon, F., Wagland, S., Griffiths, Z., Rodeghiero, F., 2018. Landfill mining from extractive waste facilities: The importance of a correct site characterisation and evaluation of the potentialities. A case study from Italy. In Sustainable management and exploitation of extractive waste: towards a more efficient resource preservation and waste recycling. Edited by Nicola Careddu, Svein Willy Danielsen, Giovanna Antonella Dino, Richard Prikryl. Volume 59, Pages 564 (December 2018). Resources Policy, 59: 50-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.04.012

Partnership

Università di Milano Bicocca, Politecnico di Torino, Università di Cagliari, Confartigianato VCO, Regione Piemonte.

Publications

Bonetto, S.; Facello, A.; Ferrero, A.M.; Umili, G. A tool for semi-automatic linear feature detection based on DTM. Comput. Geosci. 2015, 75, 1–12, doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2014.10.005.
Dino, G.A., Cavallo, A., Faraudello, A., Rossi, P, Mancini, S., 2021. Raw materials supply: Kaolin and quartz from ore deposits and recycling activities. The example of the Monte Bracco area (Piedmont, Northern Italy). Resources Policy, Volume 74, December 2021, 102413. pp. 16.
Dino, G.A., Mehta N., Rossetti, P., Ajmone-Marsan, F., De Luca, D.A., 2018. Sustainable approach towards extractive waste management: Two case studies from Italy. In Sustainable management and exploitation of extractive waste: towards a more efficient resource preservation and waste recycling. Edited by Nicola Careddu, Svein Willy Danielsen, Giovanna Antonella Dino, Richard Prikryl. Volume 59, Pages 564 (December 2018). Resources Policy, 59: 33-43. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.07.009
Mehta, N., Cocerva, T., Cipullo, S., Padoan, E., Dino, G.A., Ajmone Marsan, F., Cox, S., Coulon, F., De Luca, D.A., 2019. Linking oral bioaccessibility and solid phase distribution of potentially toxic elements in extractive waste and soil from an abandoned mine site: Case study in Campello Monti, NW Italy. Science of the total environment. 651 (2): 2799-2810. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.115. (on line printed).
Vagnon, F., Dino, G.A., Umili, G., Cardu, M., Ferrero, A.M., 2020. New Developments for the Sustainable Exploitation of Ornamental Stone in Carrara Basin. Sustainability, 2020, 12:9374. DOI:10.3390/su12229374

Research projects

Progetto SUGERE (Sustainability and Wise Use of Geological Resources) – ERASMUS PLUS (Capacity Building)
Università degli Studi di Torino - Ricerca finanziata da Università (ex 60%) 2018. “Il territorio e l’uomo: percorsi integrati di conoscenza, valorizzazione e salvaguardia”. Responsabile scientifico: Sabrina Bonetto. Durata 2 anni (01/01/2019-31/12/2020).
Università degli Studi di Torino - Ricerca finanziata da Università (ex 60%) 2019. “Ambiente naturale e ambiente antropico: conoscenza, valorizzazione e gestione delle risorse e delle pericolosità naturali e indotte”. Responsabile scientifico: Pierluigi Pieruccini. Durata 2 anni (01/01/2019-31/12/2020).

Tag: sustainability, raw materials, critical raw materials, secondary raw materials, circular economy, landfill mining