Post – Flux

English

This thematic issue explores the concept of urban mining, referring to the exploitation of materials from accumulated urban stocks to reduce dependence on natural resources. It examines the economic, social, and environmental issues related to the dismantling of infrastructure, the recovery of materials, and their recycling within the context of globalized material flows. The articles analyze the diversity of revalorization sectors and the public policies implemented. In Lebanon, for example, landfills are excavated to extract backfill material for urban expansion into the sea. In Milan, the recycling of construction waste aims to limit primary extraction, although it cannot fully replace it. However, the recyclability of materials and their market value remain major obstacles to the operationalization of urban mining, as evidenced by the low circularity of plastics in France. The recycling economy is marked by deep inequalities: while profits are often captured by large companies, social and environmental costs weigh heavily on workers, who are frequently exposed to highly toxic areas. In India, the informal dismantling of electronic waste illustrates these disparities, as does the scrap metal sector in Turkey, which fluctuates between survival economies for small-scale collectors and profit capture by more powerful wholesalers. Despite these inequalities, urban mining can also contribute to local economic revitalization. This is the case in Dimako, where the recovery of colonial industrial remains has become an essential resource for local populations. Nicky Gregson’s interview highlights the implications of the growing financialization of waste valorization, while Nelo Magalhães’ work demonstrates how recycling, paradoxically contributes to the extractivist pressure. Through these examples, this issue explores the tensions between urbanization, resource management, and environmental justice, illustrating how urban mining shapes territories and reconfigures local and global economies.