The COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the changing global economic order are disrupting supply chains of the critical minerals we depend on. The accelerating transition to solar photovoltaics, electric vehicles, and their battery requirements will increase the demand for these materials further and stress the supply chains more. Can mine waste (tailings, fly ash and smelter) play a role in the search for new sources of critical minerals? Current and future demand for critical minerals requires new business models to keep critical minerals that have already been extracted in use and better infrastructure to extract them from new sources like waste.
In this panel, stakeholders from different sectors involved in the development of waste management infrastructure, especially from the urban sector, will explore the potential of critical minerals recovery from waste sources, and its demand, supply chain issues in upcoming years, especially from the Indian context.