Recycling mining waste in the Democratic Republic of Congo: an economic and environmental opportunity
The mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is experiencing unprecedented growth, but this is also leading to an increase in industrial waste. Mining companies established in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba are today faced with the growing problem of managing their mining waste.
According to the 2018 Mining Code and Congolese legislation, mining companies are required to dispose of their waste responsibly. But what to do with used oils, plastics and batteries? A few pioneering companies have launched into recycling this waste, seeing it as an economic opportunity.
A factory located in Lubumbashi specializes in recycling certain mining waste, such as used oils and plastics. This activity, launched only two years ago by an Indian company called MES, a provider of engineering solutions for mining companies, transforms waste into plastic granules which are resold to manufacturers of furniture and other products in plastic.
Congolese law requires mining companies to dispose of their waste responsibly, but most of it is incinerated, buried or stored. This represents an additional cost for mining operators. MES saw this constraint as an industrial opportunity. According to Manoj Kumar Nair, one of the group’s leaders, many mining companies are not concerned with responsible waste management because they are only interested in mining copper and cobalt.
Faced with this observation, the company Clean Congo was created to meet this need. It currently recycles 450 tonnes of batteries, 500,000 liters of used oils and 30 tonnes of high density polyethylene every month. Jayesh Mandlik, one of the directors of the company, explains that non-biodegradable waste is collected and transformed into reusable materials, such as metal bars for construction, polyethylene tubes and even fuel for combustion by processing used oils.
Recycling mining waste has many environmental and economic benefits for the DRC. However, this problem is not only limited to oils, batteries and plastics. Used tires, for example, can be reused to make furniture. It is therefore necessary to raise awareness and train players in the mining industry in responsible management and recycling of waste.
The University of Lubumbashi has also taken the initiative of launching a Master’s course on the manufacture of electric batteries, which will also address the issue of recycling.. This approach demonstrates the country’s desire to truly manage this issue and promote a more sustainable circular economy.
In conclusion, the recycling of mining waste in the DRC represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Pioneering companies in this field show the importance of finding responsible solutions to manage this waste while creating economic opportunities. It is essential to further encourage recycling and raise awareness of these issues throughout the mining sector to ensure a sustainable future for the Congolese mining industry.