Resource consumption is always accompanied by environmental impacts. In most cases, it is not possible to quantify the extent of such negative impacts. However, the external cost of uranium mining in Germany can be estimated at 30 Euro/kg U. The environmental impact can be reduced when waste materials are processed, so that their use as a secondary raw material, substituting for natural resources, is possible. The recyclability of waste materials depends on the price of a resource and the concentration of the component in the waste.

Key words: external cost, resources from waste, uranium mining

Land Contamination & Reclamation, 18 (3), 313-320 (2010)