CIRCULAR ECONOMY POTENTIAL OF COPPER INDUSTRY WASTE IN BOR, SERBIA

Abstract

The copper industry is considered a major polluter, as for one ton of refined copper more than 500 tons of various waste materials is produced. In addition, copper production requires large amounts of water and energy, so the impact on the environment is also reflected in the emission of wastewater and various waste gasses.

Bor, a town in eastern Serbia, is synonymous with copper production in this part of Europe. Copper production in this area dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, to 1903, and is still in operation today. In the period of more than 120 years, over 1 billion tons of various waste materials were produced. All of this waste has been deposited in the vicinity of the settlements near Bor, affecting not only the environment but also the health of local people.

On the other hand, these waste materials contain large quantities of metals such as copper, iron, zinc and even precious metals, gold and silver. All these metals can be extracted by some concentration and extraction methods, such as leaching (acidic or biological), flotation, neutralization (for wastewater), etc. Depending on its physical and chemical properties, the residue after processing of waste can be used for various industrial purposes, e.g. in the construction industry.

In this paper, examples are given of how some of the waste from copper production industry can be processed according to the basic principles of the circular economy.