Mining for recovery as an option for dumpsite rehabilitation: case study from Nagpur, India

Conventionally, the concept of mining has been understood from the perspective of recovering metals from mineral ores and other valuable products from the earth. The mining concept is now being applied to old dumpsites and landfills for recovering materials out of municipal solid waste (MSW). Materials recovered from MSW can be turned into useful raw material for other purposes and allied industries. Plastics recovered from the dumpsites can be utilised as fuel in thermal power plants, cement and brick industries. Reclaimed earth could be utilised as fill or as a raw material in the construction industry. However, a detailed study is needed before mining an MSW dumpsite or a landfill, particularly to decide if the project would be economically sustainable. This paper describes a study conducted on a dumpsite situated in Nagpur, India, wherein the motivation was to rehabilitate the site after the removal of different constituents of MSW. Two scenarios were considered as the potential removal strategies: (a) mining for recovery and (b) transferring MSW from the dump to a new sanitary landfill. The study revealed that MSW mining for recovery is more economical and sustainable compared with putting MSW in a new sanitary landfill.