Sustainable Management Strategies for Rocks, Ores & Minerals (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Environmental Management): Revision Note

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Reduce

• Reduce—use fewer products that need new rocks, ores, or minerals

  • Designing products that need less raw material

  • Reducing demand helps lower extraction rates (less mining and quarrying)

• Some examples include:

  • Design buildings that use less quarried stone or concrete

  • Manufacturers can make thinner metal packaging, such as cans that use less aluminium or steel

  • Consumers can choose durable goods—for example, repairing electronics instead of buying new ones reduces demand for metals like copper and lithium

Reuse

• Reuse—use rock, ore, or mineral materials again instead of throwing them away

  • Extends the life of products and materials

  • Reduces the need to extract new resources

  • Saves the energy that would be needed to extract, transport, and process new raw materials

• Some examples include:

  • Building materials like bricks, tiles, and stone can be cleaned and reused in new construction projects

Recycle

• Recycle—process used rocks, ores, and mineral-based materials into new products

  • Saves energy and raw materials

  • Reduces waste sent to landfill

  • Reduces mining waste, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions from smelting and quarrying

• Some examples include:

  • Metals such as aluminium, copper, iron, and steel can be melted and reused repeatedly without losing quality

  • Recycling aluminium foil, drink cans, or food trays uses only a small fraction of the energy needed to extract new metal from ore

Recycling—accessibility, ease and education

• Accessibility—recycling must be easy for people to do

  • Local recycling bins for metal cans, glass, and building waste encourage higher recycling rates

• Ease—the simpler the system, the more people will use it

  • Clear instructions and colour-coded bins help households sort materials correctly

• Education—people need to understand why recycling matters

  • Teaching how recycling saves energy and reduces the need for mining encourages long-term habits

Increasing extraction efficiency

• Efficient extraction means getting more useful material from each tonne of ore or rock

• Modern mining equipment allows more precise drilling and blasting, reducing waste rock

• Improved processing techniques extract a higher percentage of metal from each ore

  • For example, new technology can recover more copper from low-grade ores that were once too poor to mine

• Recycling heat, water, and chemicals during processing saves resources and lowers pollution

• More efficient methods mean fewer mines are needed to produce the same amount of material

Avoiding resource depletion

• Resource depletion—when rocks, ores, or minerals are used up faster than they can be replaced

• Limiting how much material is extracted each year helps prevent overuse

• Encouraging recycling and reuse reduces the need for new mining

• Promoting efficient extraction ensures less waste from each mine

• Using alternative materials where possible keeps resources available for future generations

Legislation & enforcement

• Legislation—laws that control how and where mining and quarrying take place

  • Governments can set limits on how much ore or rock companies can extract

  • Laws may require land restoration after quarrying, such as replanting trees or filling open pits

  • Regulations can reduce pollution from dust, noise, and waste rock

• Enforcement—making sure laws are followed

  • Regular inspections check that mining companies meet environmental standards

  • Fines or closure orders can be used if rules are broken

  • Strong enforcement ensures mining is done responsibly and sustainably

Alternative materials

• Use of alternative materials involves using other substances instead of minerals from rocks and ores

• Recycled metals can often replace newly mined ones in manufacturing

• Plastics or composites can sometimes replace metal in products like pipes, window frames, or car panels

• Concrete substitutes, such as materials made from industrial waste or recycled aggregates, reduce the need for fresh stone from quarries

• Using alternatives reduces mining pressure and protects natural habitats

Benefits & limitations of sustainable strategies

Benefits of sustainable management strategies

• Conserves resources: reduces the rate at which rocks, ores, and minerals are used up

  • Recycling metals and reusing building materials means fewer new mines are needed

• Protects the environment: less mining reduces land damage, pollution, and habitat loss

  • Quarrying causes dust and noise pollution; using recycled materials cuts this impact

• Saves energy: recycling metals such as aluminium uses much less energy than mining and processing new ore

• Reduces waste: materials like glass and concrete can be reused instead of sent to landfill

• Encourages innovation: developing alternative materials and new extraction technologies promotes sustainable industry

• Economic benefits: companies save money by recycling materials and using them efficiently

• Supports future generations: keeps resources available for longer and ensures materials don’t run out

Limitations of sustainable management strategies

• High costs: modern technology for recycling or efficient extraction can be expensive to install and maintain

• Limited recycling facilities: some areas lack access to recycling centres or collection services

• Public participation: strategies depend on people being willing to recycle and reuse materials

  • Without education and awareness, recycling rates stay low

• Quality loss: some materials, like metal alloys, are harder to recycle effectively while maintaining original quality

• Not all materials are recyclable: certain ores and minerals are difficult to reuse once processed

• Time and effort: sorting, collecting, and processing recycled materials takes longer than using new raw materials

• Economic pressure: in some countries, mining provides jobs and income, so reducing extraction can affect local economies

• Weak enforcement: laws may exist but not be properly enforced, allowing overextraction to continue