Circular Economy
Bringing together policymakers, manufacturers, and consumers and assessing all sectors and interconnectivities to develop a life cycle approach to the circular economy and moving to a zero waste future (materials and energy)
Bringing together policymakers, manufacturers, and consumers and assessing all sectors and interconnectivities to develop a life cycle approach to the circular economy and moving to a zero waste future (materials and energy)
Over 90% of the global economy continues to function with the unsustainable, linear “take-make-toss” process in relation to materials. Manufacturers rely on raw natural resources for processing and production, and the materials produced largely lack viability or end of use/life strategy. The circular economy looks to reduce waste in the life cycle of production and increase efficiency and effectiveness of recycling at the end of life for products.
Colorado School of Mines, the Payne Institute for Public Policy and our partners are working to address this issue and generate important research on the circular economy. Colorado School of Mines has expertise at every point of production. From the initial identification and extraction of natural resources, to processing, manufacturing, distribution, and product end-of-life reclamation. Through collaboration on campus with our geophysics, mining engineering, advanced manufacturing, mechanical engineering and chemistry departments and others. As well as off campus collaboration with NREL and various industry partners, the Payne Institute is connecting its breath of technical expertise with the world of public policy to bring the issue of the circular economy to the forefront.
NEWS
How clean energy legislation can incentivize US mineral production 10/11/2024
How clean energy legislation can incentivize US mineral production
Payne Institute Communications Associate Gregory Wischer and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how the presidential candidates disagree on much, they seem to largely agree on the need to support domestic critical mineral projects. The next president needs to prioritize minerals and metals production in jurisdictions with high labor standards, especially the United States. Importantly, existing U.S. government programs can be modified to incentivize U.S. mineral production. October 11, 2024.
Payne Institute for Public Policy 2024 State of Critical Minerals Report highlights potential of mining tailings and steep nickel cost curve 10/10/2024
Payne Institute for Public Policy 2024 State of Critical Minerals Report highlights potential of mining tailings and steep nickel cost curve
A new critical minerals report from The Payne Institute for Public Policy at Colorado School of Mines highlights the vast potential from mining tailings, the steep cost curve for Nickel, new legislation focused on increasing the domestic mining of critical minerals and the U.S. government’s recent $4.9 billion of investments in mining and processing. October 10, 2024.
ELECTRICITY ACCESS IN THE NAVAJO NATION 10/10/2024
ELECTRICITY ACCESS IN THE NAVAJO NATION
Payne Institute Communications Associate Kristin Ziv, Daniel Cardenas, Fellow Richard Luarkie, and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how many Navajo Tribal members, some 13,000 households, living on the Nation’s reservation still lack access to electricity services. These Navajo households make up most of the 17,000 native American tribal homes without electricity, according to the US Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Affairs. Want of electricity harms public health, education, and economic development outcomes. October 10, 2024.
CHINA, CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES, AND NATIONAL SECURITY 10/2/2024
CHINA, CLEAN TECHNOLOGIES, AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Payne Institute Fellow Joshua Busby, Director Morgan Bazilian, and Emily Holland write about how the Biden administration announced sweeping 100 percent import tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles as well as the batteries and minerals that go in them. While these minerals and refined products are sourced from various countries, China heavily dominates their processing and other stages along various supply chains. In what way is China’s domination of minerals processing, batteries, and potentially automobiles a threat to U.S. national security? October 2, 2024.
Indonesia ‘blood nickel’ risks too grave to ignore 9/21/2024
Indonesia ‘blood nickel’ risks too grave to ignore
Payne Institute Student Researcher Gabriel Collins, Director Morgan Bazilian, and Policy and Outreach Advisor Simon Lomax write about how manufacturers and investors should beware the reputational and operational risks of dealing in Indonesian nickel. Earlier this month, the US government sounded the alarm over the use of forced labor in the nickel mines of Indonesia, and the major implications for the energy transition. September 21, 2024.
Community Benefit Agreements are key to mining battery minerals on public lands 9/20/2024
Community Benefit Agreements are key to mining battery minerals on public lands
Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Elizabeth Holley writes this article about meeting energy transition goals for decarbonization and how it will require huge increases in the production of battery minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium and graphite. The USA is almost entirely dependent on imports for most of these minerals, and the potential for geopolitical supply chain disruption has led to new federal policies that prioritize domestic mining. September 20, 2024.
Deployment of Climate Change Adaptation Technologies 9/20/2024
DEPLOYMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION TECHNOLOGIES
Payne Institute Fellow Jamal Saghir writes about how developing countries are seriously impacted by climate change, and achieving the long-term goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to tackle climate change adaptation would require both new and emerging technologies as well as innovative business models and markets for their successful deployment at scale in developing countries. September 20, 2024.
Senator Hickenlooper announces bipartisan legislation at the Mines Critical Minerals Symposium 9/13/2024
Senator Hickenlooper announces bipartisan legislation at the Mines Critical Minerals Symposium
The Payne Institute at Colorado School of Mines hosted Senator John Hickenlooper delivered a keynote address at our Critical Minerals Symposium on September 13. Hickenlooper proposes national leadership and innovation for clean and responsible critical mineral sourcing. During his speech, Hickenlooper announced a pair of bipartisan bills to guide a national strategy on a clean, responsible and innovative approach to sourcing critical minerals. September 13, 2024.
Keynote Video
Mines faculty member testifies before congressional critical minerals working group on U.S. mineral workforce 9/13/2024
Mines faculty member testifies before congressional critical minerals working group on U.S. mineral workforce
Payne Institute Fellow Elizabeth Holley testifies before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party’s Critical Minerals Policy Working Group. The working group, chaired by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), explored the need to develop a skilled domestic workforce to support U.S. economic, energy and national security through the responsible sourcing of critical minerals. September 13, 2024.
Hickenlooper, Tillis to unveil bipartisan minerals bills 9/13/2024
Hickenlooper, Tillis to unveil bipartisan minerals bills
The Payne Institute for Public Policy was pleased to host Senator John Hickenlooper for our Critical Minerals Symposium where he announced his new legislative efforts. The two bills are intended to stimulate innovation in the U.S. to produce technologies for identifying, mining, processing and recycling minerals. September 13, 2024. EVENT VIDEO
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For more information about the Circular Economy Research Area at the Payne Institute for Public Policy, please contact our Deputy Director, Gregory Clough, at gclough@mines.edu.