Basic Concepts, Potentials, and Challenges of Urban Mining

Abstract

Urban mining is a management tool that converts wastes into resources where wastes can act as secondary raw material. It includes precious metals, construction and demolishing materials, compost, etc., as end products. It does not only improve resource fulfillment that upgrades a circular economy and sustainability but also minimizes the environmental burdens. Nevertheless, it is challenging to implement urban mining because of numerous obstacles such as lack of knowledge and advanced technologies. Therefore, the study aims to introduce the basic idea of urban mining, determining the potential sources of urban mining such as municipal solid waste, electronic waste, construction, and demolition waste, etc., and emerging challenges associated with urban mining, which are crucial to the success of urban mining that offers resource improvement in the circular economy.