Raw material security and Urban Mining at the center of the debate. Wastes Service Group at the Lower Silesian Investment Congress

During the Lower Silesian Investment Congress, one of the key points of the program was Panel VI devoted to energy, capital and the foundations of new investments. For Wastes Service Group, the central topic of the debate was the safety of raw materials and the role of modern recycling in the energy transition.

During the discussion, Robert Makieła, President of the Management Board of Wastes Service Group, drew attention to three strategic areas that will determine the future of Polish industry.

Urban Mining as an element of raw material sovereignty

“Urban mining” ceases to be a concept and becomes a real tool for building economic independence. Recovering strategic raw materials such as lithium and cobalt from used batteries significantly reduces dependence on imports and shortens the supply chain.

Recycling means not only a smaller environmental footprint, but also greater cost stability and energy efficiency of the entire process. Shortening the path from recovery to reuse of the material translates into a real strengthening of the competitiveness of the industry.

Poland as a technological leader in recycling

Contrary to stereotypes, Poland has a strong technological background in the field of raw material processing. The traditions of the scrap processing industry and the high level of education of engineers make domestic enterprises develop advanced solutions for the recovery of materials from batteries.

Of particular importance is the development of technology for the recovery of the so-called “black mass” with the reduction of energy-intensive processes. This is a direction that allows you to increase efficiency and build a competitive advantage on the European market.

Legislation as a key challenge

One of the most important threads of the debate was the need to adapt regulation to the pace of technological development. As President Makieła stressed, the current legal framework still does not clearly determine the status of strategic raw materials recovered from waste.

Environmental and administrative procedures prolong the implementation of the investment up to several years. An additional challenge remains the time-consuming process of obtaining approvals for the cross-border transport of used batteries for recycling. Without improving these processes, it is difficult to talk about dynamic building of raw material sovereignty.

Direction: energy self-sufficiency

The energy transition in the recycling sector is also a drive to increase the energy efficiency of the installations themselves. One of the directions being developed is the use of energy recovered from discharged batteries in technological processes.

The Lower Silesian Investment Congress has clearly shown that the future of industry is based on the synergy of energy, capital and raw materials. The recycling of strategic metals is becoming one of the pillars of this change.

Wastes Service Group consistently develops solutions that support the circular economy and strengthen the material security of the region and the country.