The document discusses urban mining as a systematic approach to managing urban resources for environmental protection, resource conservation, and economic benefits. It outlines four key elements of an urban mining strategy: design for urban mining, a new knowledge base, high-tech logistics and recovery processes, and addressing final sinks for waste. Challenges include developing new technologies, urban prospection methods, and balancing the economics of secondary versus primary resource use.

1. Urban Mining:
Recycling – or more?
Paul H. BRUNNER
Vienna University of Technology, Austria
Urban Mining Forum, Taipeh, October 21st, 2011
Foto courtesy of Morf & Böni

2. Content
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
• What is urban mining?
• Why urban mining?
• Four elements of an urban mining strategy
• Urban mining and re-industrializing the city
• Summary
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3. What is urban mining?
Systematic, goal oriented management of anthropogenic
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
resource stocks in view of:
 long-term environmental protection
 resource conservation
 economic benefits
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4. Why urban mining? Environmental protection
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
Environmental degradation Environmental burdens by
by mining primary production
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5. Why urban mining? large resource stocks
Fluxes [t/(c.yr)]
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
Stocks [t]
36 43
Air Off-gas
Water Sewage
147 144
4-10
Fossil fuels Export goods
2 3
Construct. materials Solid wastes
3
& consumer goods Municipal
12-18 Stock: 350 + 7 solid wastes
0.3
I ~ 200 t/c.y O ~ 195 t/c.y
Source: Daxbeck et al. 1996 (updated)
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6. Why urban mining? large resource stocks
plastic flows
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
in Austria 1994 raw material duro- and polymers
[in kt/year] 1.100 primary processing 850
stock: 40
250 duro- and
polymers
intermediate products plastic products
product 420
990 manufacturing
stock: 50 210
intermediate
600 plastic products
products
plastic products consumption
Einsatz
IMPORT 530 EXPORT
stock: 7100+400 production
wastes
regranulate 720 28
wastes
17
collection,
transporting, sorting
stock: 45+42
49 71 590
wastes wastes wastes
regranulate recycling energy landfill
26 recovery
stock: 0 stock: 0 stock: 9700+590
59
off gas
Source: R. Fehringer, 1998
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7. Why urban mining? resource conservation
0,8
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
11 7
344 0,8
Iron flows primary consumpt
2 production 4 3 1 waste
through Austria production 44 magment
6 0,3 2,7
1,5
pedo-/
other
lithosphere 4
140*
140* disposal
350 350
344
geogenic anthropogenic
300 300
iron reserve iron stock
250 250
200 200
194
150 150
140
100 100
50 50
40 44
0
0 0
2000 2050 2100 2000 2050 2100
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8. The 4 elements of an urban mining strategy
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
Topic Actor
1. Design for Urban Mining industry & academia
2. New knowledge base: public -> private sector
• Urban prospection methodology public & private sector
• Resource cadastre public sector
3. High-Technology logistics, separation, industry & academia
and recovery processes
4. Final sinks for the „useless“ public & private sector
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9. The 4 elements of an urban mining strategy
1. Design for Urban Mining: example lead
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
telecom
cable
[cost for recovery /ton]
power sewer
cable pipes
water pipes
inhouse market price
lead accumulators
0
0 5 000 10 000 15 000 20 000 25 000 30 000 35 000
Available stock [tons]
source: Lohm et al., 1998
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10. The 4 elements of an urban mining strategy
1. Design for Urban Mining: example copper
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
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11. The 5 elements of an urban mining strategy
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
1. Design for Urban Mining
2. New knowledge base: Resource cadastre
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12. New knowledge base: the case of aluminum
700
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
2000 2030
600
Aluminum - stock [kg/c]
500
aluminum in
400 packaging wastes:
300 1.9 kg/c.year
200 = 3 % of total Al-turnover
100
0
waste red mud consumption
landfills landfills stock
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13. New knowledge base: the case of Vienna
[ kg/capita ]
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
Vienna stock in use and hybernating Stock in Vienna landfills
Lead 200 Lead 20
Iron 5,000 Iron 350
Groundwater
Source: R. Obernosterer et al, 1998
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14. The 4 elements of an urban mining strategy
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
1. Design for Urban Mining
2. New knowledge base: Resource cadastre and
Urban prospection (analogon to geophysical prospection)
– Concentration [mass per mass]
– Density [mass per area]
– Total mass of substance
– Speciation
– Other constituents
– Costs of exploitation
– others
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15. The 4 elements of an urban mining strategy
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
1. Design for Urban Mining
2. New knowledge base
3. High-Tech logistics, separation, and recovery processes
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16. High-Tech logistics and recovery processes
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
from MSW to material resources
by means of MSW incineration
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17. High-Tech logistics and recovery processes
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
from Morf & Böni, 2011
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18. The 4 elements of an urban mining strategy
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
1. Design for Urban Mining
2. New knowledge base
3. High-Tech logistics, separation, and recovery processes
4. Final sinks for the „useless“
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19. Not all flows go in cycles -> need for sinks!
corrosion & weathering
consumption emissions
(CO2 et al.)
sewage
solid waste
recycling
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20. The sinks on planet earth are limited
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
Atmosphere 4.200 [Mio. km³] Hydrosphere 1.400 [Mio. km³]
.
Pedosphere 0,3 [Mio. km³]
After A. Nieman supplemented by G. Döberl
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21. Summary
1. Goal of urban mining:
 resource conservation and environmental protection
Urban Mining Forum, Taipei, October 21, 2011
 economic benefits
2. Reason for urban mining:
 large anthropogenic stocks ( larger than geogenic stocks?)
3. Challenges:
 new knowledge base
 new design for “urban mining”
 new technologies
 urban prospection
 high-tech separation processes (clean cycles!)
 economics of secondary versus primary resource use
 demand for final sinks!
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22. Thank you
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