Waste Stream Reduction by Combining Coarse Waste Preconcentration and Fine Tailings Utilization Technologies in a Copper Concentration Plant: The KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. Case Study

The mining industry faces increasing challenges related to the growing volume of tailings generated during mineral processing. This study presents a case study of the Complex Mine Waste Reduction (CMWR) concept implemented at the Polkowice Concentrator operated by KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. The approach integrates coarse ore sorting with tailings reprocessing for construction material production. Sorting improves flotation feed quality by rejecting low-grade gangue, while reprocessing converts fine tailings into value-added products. The combined implementation reduces tailing deposition by up to 22% and improves the operational copper recovery in flotation while maintaining overall process recovery at an essentially unchanged level. The results demonstrate the potential of integrated solutions for sustainable and circular mining.