Across the EU the legacy of that is an estimated 150,000 to 500,000 historic landfill sites – many not built to today’s sanitary standards. On 31 August this year a four-year EU funded project investigating the potential to recover materials, energy and land from these sites concluded.
Until relatively recently the predominant form of waste disposal in Europe has been landfill. Across the EU the legacy of that is an estimated 150,000 to 500,000 historic landfill sites – many not built to today’s sanitary standards. On 31 August this year a four-year EU funded project investigating the potential to recover materials, energy and land from these sites concluded.
Launched back in 2016, the four year NEW-MINE research project, led by KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals was tasked with looking into the possibilities of Enhanced Landfill Mining. With project partners including German recycling equipment manufacturer, STADLER, the EU funder research explored the potential for recovering materials for recycling from closed landfill sites, as well as waste derived fuel, all while recovering increasingly valuable land for reuse.