Highlights
- Dr. Botelho’s research proposes electrochemical techniques to reduce environmental harm and create near-zero waste systems in mineral extraction.
- Innovative approaches include:
- Electrochemical leaching
- Electrodialysis
- Urban mining to recover valuable materials from waste and e-waste
- The study calls for a systems-level approach to integrate:
- Energy
- Materials science
- Waste policy to address the impending mining waste crisis
Dr. Amilton Barbosa Botelho Junior, affiliated with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (opens in a new tab) a seminal perspective redefining “Sustainable Mining” as a multidisciplinary imperative—fusing electrochemical innovation, waste recovery, and decarbonization to meet the surging global demand for critical minerals in a post-carbon economy.
Hypothesis & Research Question
The study sets out to answer a direct and urgent question: How can electrochemistry contribute to sustainable mining in the context of the energy transition? Dr. Botelho Jr. posits that sustainable mining must integrate electrochemical techniques to reduce environmental harm, recover valuable materials from waste, and shift the extractive industry toward near-zero waste systems—all without compromising the supply chain security of essential elements like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths.
Study Design & Key Findings
This is a conceptual, integrative analysis drawing from nearly 200 scientific references, framing electrochemistry as the most viable frontier for transforming mineral extraction and recycling. The study highlights first electrochemical leaching, a process enabling the selective recovery of lithium and rare earth elements from both mining tailings and e-waste.
Second, the author addresses electrodialysis and molten oxide electrolysis, processes that could decarbonize processes like cement and iron production, which account for up to 10% of global CO₂ emissions. Finally the author addresses urban mining—recovering minerals from electronic waste and wastewater. This latter concept, the author suggests, can decentralize the supply chain and reduce dependence on virgin ore extraction. However, current limitations in membrane material durability, cost-efficiency, and electrode scalability present major hurdles. Deep-sea mining is notably excluded due to ecological uncertainties and recovery timelines measured in millennia.
Implications
If implemented at scale, electrochemical processing could dramatically reduce the carbon and waste footprint of critical mineral supply chains while insulating economies from geopolitical shocks tied to mineral access. The paper calls on policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to adopt a systems-level approach, integrating energy, materials science, waste policy, and extractive technologies into a single coherent framework.
Limitations
This study is a forward-looking review and does not provide experimental validation or economic modeling of the proposed solutions. While the promise of electrochemistry is clear, the commercial viability and policy alignment required for large-scale transformation remains to be proven. The paper explicitly avoids commentary on geopolitical or environmental diplomacy, focusing strictly on the technological and industrial frontier.
Conclusion
Dr. Botelho’s work introduces a precise, actionable definition of Sustainable Mining—one grounded in science and directed at solving the extractive crisis at the heart of the clean energy transition. With mining waste projected to reach 2 trillion tons by 2050, the call to action is clear: electrify, recover, recycle—or risk collapse in critical mineral availability.
Source
Botelho Junior, A.B. (2025). Sustainable mining – unlocking resources towards a circular economy to meet energy transition through electrochemistry. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Vol. 13, Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2025.116600 (opens in a new tab)
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