Urban Mining is the systematic recovery of valuable raw materials—such as precious and rare earth metals—from discarded products, including electronic waste (e-waste), vehicles, and infrastructure.

This concept is essential for the circular economy, viewing cities not as waste generators but as highly concentrated, human-made mines. Unlike traditional mining, urban mining reduces energy consumption, minimizes habitat destruction, and, most critically, mitigates dependency on volatile global supply chains for critical materials. Developing efficient, sustainable metallurgical and chemical processes for this task is a key focus of our current research.