Sustainability and Waste Management in the Resource Industries

Fundamental science and engineering research at Monash University and The University of Melbourne in Australia has enabled the alumina industry worldwide to reduce the volume of waste produced by about fifty percent. Valuable raw materials are recovered, and the risk of storage failure is eliminated. Across the mining industry, there are at least two major storage failures annually worldwide, resulting in deaths and environmental disasters. The failure in Hungary of a storage facility for bauxite residue in October 2011 resulted in eight deaths and a fine of 472 million euro ($US648 million) and the arrest of the CEO (later released). The new technique called dry disposal produces a paste for stacking and drying instead of a water-like suspension to be stored in a dam or pond. Simply removing water from the suspension and reusing and recycling water represents a step toward a more sustainable practice in the industry. As the concentration of such a suspension is increased as a result of dewatering, the ma...