Nine projects have been selected for potential funding to recover valuable minerals from mine waste and industrial materials
Washington, D.C., 19 August 2026 – Mining waste could become a valuable source of critical minerals under a new funding initiative that has selected nine projects for up to $162 million in potential support.
The projects focus on recovering critical minerals from mine waste and industrial feedstocks. Instead of looking only at newly mined materials, the initiative explores whether valuable minerals can be recovered from materials that have already been extracted, processed, or discarded.
Critical minerals are essential to many modern industries and technologies. They are used in products and systems ranging from advanced manufacturing and batteries to electronics and energy infrastructure. However, recovering these materials can be complex, especially when they are present in waste streams at low concentrations.
The new projects aim to develop technologies that can identify, separate, and recover these materials more effectively. According to the report, the nine selected projects could receive a combined $162 million in potential funding.
The approach reflects a growing interest in secondary sources of minerals. Mine tailings, industrial waste, process streams and other byproducts may still contain materials that were not economically or technically recoverable when they were first processed. New technologies could make it possible to extract greater value from these existing resources. The Department of Energy has identified mine tailings, industrial process streams, and other waste materials as important potential sources for critical minerals.
Recovering minerals from waste can also support a more efficient mining and minerals industry. Rather than treating every waste stream as material with no further use, companies and researchers can examine whether valuable resources remain inside it. This could create opportunities to improve resource efficiency while reducing the amount of material sent for long-term storage or disposal.
The Department of Energy has been supporting research into critical mineral recovery from a wide range of unconventional sources. Its programs include work involving mine waste, industrial waste, recycled materials and other secondary feedstocks. In May, the department also announced $45.7 million for 19 projects focused on developing technologies to strengthen critical minerals and materials supply chains.
Technology will play a central role in making mining waste recovery commercially practical. Advanced mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, sensors, real-time analytics, and artificial intelligence can help researchers better understand where valuable minerals are located and how they can be recovered. DOE planning documents specifically identify technologies such as mineral beneficiation, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, sensing and data analytics as important areas for critical minerals recovery.
The potential value of this approach extends beyond mining sites. Industrial processes can generate byproducts containing metals and minerals that may be suitable for recovery. By developing better ways to process these materials, companies could create new sources of supply from resources already available within existing industrial operations.
Several recent DOE initiatives have also focused on extracting valuable materials from unconventional feedstocks. Projects announced earlier this year include efforts to recover rare earth elements from mine tailings, electronic waste, and other waste-derived materials.
For the mining industry, the $162 million initiative highlights an important shift in how waste may be viewed. Tailings and industrial byproducts are increasingly being studied not simply as leftover materials, but as possible future sources of valuable minerals.
The success of these projects will depend on whether the selected technologies can recover minerals efficiently and at a commercially viable cost. If successful, they could help advance mining waste recycling, critical minerals recovery, and more efficient use of existing resources.
