Recycling of Mine Wastes as Ceramic Raw Materials: An Alternative to Avoid Environmental Contamination

Solid waste management has moved to the forefront of the environmental agenda. Nations are considering restrictions on packaging and controls on products in order to reduce solid waste generation rates. Local and regional governments are requiring wastes to be separated for recycling, and some have even established mandatory recycling targets. However, industrial and everyday activities continue discarding vast amounts of material, some of which contains toxic and environmentally harmful substances. Such substances are not always disposed of in a manner with the avoidance of environmental contamination. Despite the existence of environmental standards, and in spite of the ethical implications of such actions, negligence, cost-cutting and accidents cause contamination of the soil, sediments, water and air. In the last few years, numerous industrial sectors have been mentioned as sources of environmental contamination and pollution due to the enormous quantity of wastes they generate. Mineral extraction and processing are good examples of waste production.