Former De Beers executive promotes commodities recycling for a strengthened circular economy
The mining value chain plays a vital role in sustaining a circular economy, says mining executive and former De Beers Botswana CEO Sheila Khama.
She explains, during a video interview with Zambian mining lobby organisation Mining for Zambia, that because mineral resources are finite, closer attention needs to be paid to recycling the currently available commodities to ensure they remain in the value chain.
“I see the circular economy as part of the mining value chain.”
However, to remain in the value chain when mines do eventually reach the end of their feasible resources, she says some may consider redefining themselves.
If she was in charge of an iron-ore mining operation, for instance, Khama says she might think that, a hundred years from now, the available iron may no longer be available underground but “it will be in concrete buildings that are being brought down, and I will be reclaiming this, and I will henceforth be selling scrap iron.”
This is how mining companies can remain part of the value chain, she suggests.
“In my view, they must embrace it [assumingly, recycling] because it stands to reason that when you are dealing with a finite resource that your single most important preoccupation is where the next [available resource] is coming from. The next one is going to be recycled,” says Khama.
Secondly, she says, recycling “is the responsible thing to do”, because it slows down demand for the raw material and it shifts that demand to the recycling sector. “More importantly, it brings the consumer into the [circular] loop.”
Further, consumers of products also need to remain cognisant of where their products came from, how they were made and the raw materials that went into them and should practise responsible buying as such, Khama alludes.
“The circular economy is important in this way because it reminds the consumer that they are part of that cycle of problems.”
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Established in 1983, the ASTPM is an industry association and representative body of the welded carbon steel tube and pipe manufacturers of South...
VISIT SHOWROOM
CSIR International Convention Centre (CSIR ICC) - the leading conference and events venue in Pretoria/Tshwane.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
