Environmental objectives

The PCR project will be an important European showcase for recovering copper and zinc from waste streams. The main environmental objectives are: 

• Mitigation of the environmental consequences of primary/virgin (from mining) copper and zinc production by maximizing recycling yields
• Environmental leaching of copper and zinc from bottom ash into the environment (into soil and waste water)

Besides these objectives attention will be paid to the carbon footprint of the project. To this respect an LCA will be executed to compare copper and zinc recovery by the LIFE PCR project with virgin mining and to the various other processing routes available within the recycling and metallurgical industries.