The Process Legacy project aims to find new ways of utilising mining ‘waste’ by turning residue resources into useful products.
In doing so, the project aims to reduce mining waste at its source, cut disposal costs while developing new and varied income streams for the mining industry.
Traditionally, in the process of mining, residue resources such as sand, rock, lime residues, geopolymer feedstocks and other minerals (known as tailings) are often disposed as waste.
Treating these by-products as waste, leads to high disposal costs, environmental impacts and inefficient utilisation of Australia’s valuable natural resources.
The Process Legacy project seeks to change the way we view mining and mineral processing residues to address this challenge.
By finding new ways of utilising mining ‘waste’, the project will help to lower costs for the mining industry, develop new and varied income streams and preserve valuable Australian resources while also creating new industrial jobs.
“Mining is a bit like chocolate chip cookies — everyone wants to dig out the chocolate chips and throw away the cookie. We’re saying don’t throw out the remaining biscuit - the rest of the cookie is not waste. Sustainable mining is to consume as much of a non-renewable resource as possible, and that’s what our project is all about.”
— Evan Jamieson