There is an “urban mine” that could free the EU from its dependence on critical raw materials

Brussels – There is a vast, silent, and almost unexplored mine that runs through the heart of Europe. It is not found deep within the earth, but flows before our eyes every day, hidden amongst scrapped cars, the blades of old wind turbines and the rubble of construction sites. It is the European “urban mine”, a vast reservoir of critical raw materials (CRMs) that can reshape the continent’s geopolitical independence and accelerate the green transition.

The true scale of this resource was revealed by experts from the European project FutuRaM, who mapped 42 critical elements across seven waste streams between the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway. The figures are impressive: by 2050, recovery systems could enable Europe to extract between 4.1 and 5.7 million tonnes of CRM per year. If the quality of recycled materials can replace that of virgin materials, it will be possible to meet up to 56 per cent of European demand in a fully circular economy scenario, drastically reducing dependence on giants such as China, Congo, or South Africa.

All the data is now available on the Urban Mine Platform, which highlights the current gap: in 2022, while 5.2 million tonnes of CRM were placed on the market, only 1.4 million tonnes were recovered. By 2050, demand will drive the volume of materials placed on the market up to 12.2 million tonnes per year.

“Europe already has vast quantities of critical raw materials within its waste streams. Tapping into this urban mine will be essential to strengthening security of supply, supporting the transition to clean energy and reducing environmental impacts,” explains Kees Baldé, senior scientific specialist at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. “This report enables policymakers, researchers, and industry to assess Europe’s urban mine with unprecedented clarity. The data and infrastructure we have built provide a foundation for evidence-based policies, long-term monitoring, and strategic investment decisions. Whether or not Europe realises this potential depends on the choices made now regarding legislation, recycling infrastructure, and data collection. In light of these strong results, our mindset must change: we must start thinking of ‘secondary’ sources of critical raw materials as the new primary ones,” he urges.

At present, recycling operates at two speeds. Whilst platinum and rhodium achieve recovery rates of over 80 per cent, as many as 22 elements yield less than one tonne per year due to losses. However, by 2050, 17 CRMs (including lithium, cobalt, and rare earths) could exceed the 80 per cent recovery threshold thanks to the boom in electric mobility. Lithium recycling could jump to 52,000 tonnes per year, cobalt to 40,000 tonnes, and nickel to over 171,000 tonnes. This effort will also deliver a formidable climate dividend: by 2050, avoided emissions could reach 273 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, an impact comparable to eliminating Spain’s entire carbon footprint.

However, to unlock this potential, we must stem the system’s losses. In 2022, the improper management of electronic waste resulted in the loss of 500 kilotonnes of CRM, while a further 200 kilotonnes were lost through poorly disposed-of batteries and illegally exported cars. Even the precious “black mass” from lithium batteries is often exported outside Europe rather than being processed locally.

To assess the true feasibility of projects, FutuRaM has introduced SARA4UNFC, an innovative tool based on UN criteria. “By applying the UN’s UNFC classification framework to recycling, we are giving policymakers and investors a common language for assessing secondary raw materials, something that has long been missing in the transition to a circular economy,” points out Soraya Heuss-Aßbichler, professor of mineralogy at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich.

The path set out by the experts at FutuRaM calls for immediate action: a harmonised European reporting framework, the consolidation of the Urban Mine Platform as a permanent data infrastructure, a crackdown on illegal waste flows and significant investment in sorting technologies and skills. The urban mine is open, and its deposits have been mapped; it is now up to Europe to decide whether to continue importing its future or forge it from its own waste.