This, the 6th International Symposium on Sustainable Minerals (Sustainable Minerals '21), is the postponed Sustainable Minerals '20, which was affected by the Coronavirus outbreak. It is organised by MEI in consultation with Prof Markus Reuter and is sponsored by FLSmidth. Media sponsors are International Mining and the Coalition for Eco-Efficient Comminution (CEEC), the Cornwall Mining Alliance and the Critical Minerals Association are Industry Associates.

COVID-19 & MOVING ONLINE

After much deliberation, MEI have decided that Sustainable Minerals '21 will take place online next year. The current restrictions on travel and meetings do not look like they will ease any time soon and we are excited by the possibilities offered by moving online.

Look out for a new website coming in the next few weeks. It will have full details of how the online event will work, including new registration fees.

If you have any questions please contact one of the team.

THEMES

The rapid growth of the world economy is straining the sustainable use of the Earth’s natural resources due to modern society’s extensive use of metals, materials and products. An astute and conscious application and use of metals, materials and products supported by the reuse and recycling of these materials and end-of-life products is imperative to the preservation of the Earth’s resources. The realisation of the ambitions of sustainable use of metals, materials and resources demands that the different disciplines of the material and consumer product system are connected and harmonised. This conference will discuss all aspects of material and metal usage by considering for example (but not exclusively):

• Acid Mine Drainage
• Clean Technology (smelting, energy recovery, hydrometallurgical, etc.)
• Coal Wastes
• Effluent Treatment (biological and chemical methods for water purification)
• Energy Recovery
• Water use and recycling
• Environmental Impact Assessment Methodologies (LCA, metrics for sustainability, LCI, etc.)
• Industrial Applications (novel technology, new methods, breakthrough technology, etc.)
• Legislation (REACH, Basel, Stockholm, etc.)
• Process Control (to monitor and optimize environmental performance of plants, unit operations, furnaces)
• Processing of Industrial Wastes (slags, chemical, flue dusts, sludges, bottom ashes, etc.)
• Recycling of Post Consumer Materials (car recycling, waste electric and electronic equipment, plastics, paper)
• Tailings Disposal at mine sites
• Recycling Systems (monitoring, take-back systems, etc.)
• Recycling Technology (separation, automatic sorting, sensors, smelting, etc.)
• Sustainability (from an industrial as well as consumer point of view)
• System and other models for system optimization and Sustainability prediction
• Carbon emission controls; case studies of existing methods to reduce emissions and new technology being developed such as carbon capture and storage
• Efforts to reduce energy consumption in mining and mineral processing operations
• Developments in geopolymers as alternatives to conventional cements.

ORGANISERS

Sustainable Minerals '21 is organised by MEI in consultation with with Prof Markus Reuter.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Markus A. Reuter is Director Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology. He was Director Technology Management at Outotec Finland and Chief Technologist Ausmelt (2006-2015). Previously he worked for Mintek and Anglo American Corporation in South Africa. He is Honorary Professor at Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany since 2015), Aalto University (Finland 2012-2018), Professor (and Professorial Fellow) University of Melbourne (Australia 2005 to 2018), Guest Professor at the Central South University (China 2012-2017) and Adjunct Professor at the Curtin University (Australia since 2019). He was a full professor at TU Delft (Netherlands) 1996-2005. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorates from University Liege (Belgium) and Stellenbosch University (South Africa), was awarded D.Eng. & PhD from Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and Dr. habil. from RWTH Aachen (Germany). Reuter is co-author of 2 books “Metrics of Material and Metal Ecology” and “Handbook of Recycling” both published by Elsevier. He is the lead author of the 2nd United Nations Environmental Protection (UNEP) report on Metal Recycling. He is a 2015-2016 SME Henry Krumb Lecturer and the 2016 TMS EPD Distinguished Lecturer, as well as received an Outotec Technology Award (2013). LinkedIn Profile ; ResearchGate Profile

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)

Sustainable Minerals '21 is certified for Continuing Professional Development.