Investigation for landfill mining feasibilities in the Nordic and Baltic countries: overview of project results

Abstract

Landfills are considered as places where the life cycle of products ends and materials have been “disposed forever”. The landfill mining (LFM) approach can deal with former dumpsites and this material may become important for circular economy perspectives within the concept “Beyond the zero waste”. Potential material recovery should include perspectives of recycling of critical industrial metals where rare Earth elements (REEs) are playing more and more important role. Real-time applied LFM projects in the Baltic Sea Region countries, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, have shown the potential of fractions of excavated waste. Analytical screening studies have extended a bit further the understanding of fraction contents of excavated, separated and screened waste in a circular economy perspective including recycling and energy recovery. The Swedish Institute and other national programs and private authorities have supported the research.