Technologies for Green and Sustainable Mining

Dear Colleagues,

Mining plays a critical role in the global supply chain, in particular, of rare earth elements and critical minerals, essential for renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, and modern electronics, without which the process of green transformation cannot take place, thus increasing the pressure to meet the ever-growing global needs. At the same time, mining as one of the most resource-intensive industries is expected to address this demand in a sustainable manner, requiring the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices, cleaner technologies, and responsible management of resources to reduce environmental impact and resource depletion while maintaining profitability.

By focusing on optimizing extraction processes, improving waste management, and implementing efficient recovery methods for byproducts, mining operations can minimize waste and enhance resource efficiency. This approach allows for the sustainable production of rare earth elements while reducing energy consumption, water use, and carbon emissions. The challenge lies in balancing the growing demand for critical minerals with environmental and societal considerations, but there is significant potential for mining to contribute to a closed-loop system where resources are managed responsibly, fostering long-term sustainability.

This Special Issue on “Technologies for Green and Sustainable Mining” welcomes research and review papers on current and future technologies and strategies for sustainable mining operation, addressing one or more of the following topics:

• Dry processing technologies;
• Low-carbon processing;
• Net-zero mining;
• Carbon capture and storage;
• Circular economy and waste valorization;
• Waste-to-resource innovations;
• Responsible mineral sourcing.

Dr. Piotr Celary
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.