Waste Management by Dry Stacking

Challenge the practice is addressing: This waste management strategy is used to store filtered tailings which reduces the environmental footprint but brings additional operational and transportation costs.

Concrete practice to achieve the expected goal: The low residual moisture content cannot be transported anymore by pipeline and are usually used to form a tailings deposit. This type of tailing storage produces a stable and environmentally "friendlier" deposit than other facilities have.

Expected impact/goal of the practice: The dry stack tailing facilities are beneficial because they can operate also in regions with little or critical water supply. Catastrophic dam failures and potential groundwater contamination can be prevented using this method of waste management which benefits not only the company itself but also the surrounding communities. The disadvantage of this method are the increased operational cost due to more transportation at the facility.

Who is the target user group of the practice/intervention or implementing the practice/intervention? The practice is primarily beneficial for companies and communities because this practice can reduce the environmental impact in form of preventing dam failures and reduces the water consumption which can be extremely important in areas with critical water supply.