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networks","societal_services",{"article_id":83,"industry_id":165,"created_at":116,"updated_at":87,"industry":166},"transportation_equipment",{"id":165,"name":167,"description":168,"sector":169},"Transportation Equipment","Producing transportation equipment for the movement of goods and people by air, rail, sea, and land, including airplanes, spacecraft and military equipment, ships, boats, rail locomotives and rolling stock, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, and related equipment, as well as repair services for such equipment","transportation_and_logistics",{"article_id":83,"industry_id":171,"created_at":116,"updated_at":87,"industry":172},"mining",{"id":171,"name":173,"description":174,"sector":157},"Mining","Extracting resources and minerals from the earth, such as coal, oil, gas, iron, bauxite, sand, clay, etc.",{"article_id":83,"industry_id":176,"created_at":116,"updated_at":87,"industry":177},"education_and_government_services",{"id":176,"name":178,"description":179,"sector":163},"Education and Government Services","Providing public and private education and support services at any level or for any profession, and governmental and public administration services, including judicial, regulatory, and legislative activities, taxation, defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and the administration of government programmes",[181],{"article_id":83,"location_id":182,"created_at":116,"updated_at":87,"location":183},"2645425",{"id":182,"type":184,"name":185,"color":16,"parent_location_id":186,"created_at":187,"updated_at":16},"city","Kingston upon Hull","GBR","2026-02-27T07:55:14.722Z",[],[],[191],{"id":192,"score":193,"body":194,"status":199,"article_id":83,"created_at":116,"updated_at":87,"published_at":87},"RdDg",0,{"image":195,"title":196,"content":197,"summary":95,"attachment":198,"imageCaption":95},"https://kh-assets.prod.circularity-gap.world/main-image/1777380763368-UFhGhN_U.jpeg","Circular economy could spare the oceans from deep-sea mining","\u003Cp id=\"\">On July 25, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) was set to decide whether deep-sea mining will be allowed in international waters—a pivotal moment given the intense global debate surrounding this decision. However, the meeting concluded without a definitive outcome. The ISA neither imposed a moratorium on deep-sea mining nor adopted a mining code to allow large-scale exploitation of the ocean floor. The fate of the deep sea has now been deferred to future meetings, with mounting pressure to establish clear rules.\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">Back in April 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to fast-track deep-sea mining in both domestic and international waters. The move sparked controversy, particularly because the White House authorised mining in territories it doesn't actually control. Still, the US is not the first country to allow deep-sea mining in its domestic waters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">A handful of other nations, including Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Papua New Guinea, have already\u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.npr.org/2025/03/27/nx-s1-5336319/international-deep-sea-mining-critical-metals-seabed#:~:text=Who%20decides%20if%20mining%20happens%3F\"> started issuing permits\u003C/a> to mine in their waters. However, most commercially viable mineral deposits can be \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/deep-sea-mining-explained\">found\u003C/a> in international waters, which the ISA regulates. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"\">The impact of deep-sea mining \u003C/h3>\u003Cp id=\"\">The seabed contains significant and so far untapped reserves of copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, silver, gold, rare earth elements and other resources. In general, deep-sea mining refers to the extraction of polymetallic nodules—potato-sized lumps of metal-rich minerals—from depths of hundreds or even thousands of meters. The process typically involves ‘vacuuming’ these nodules from the seabed, processing them aboard surface vessels, and dumping the residual waste back into the ocean.\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">Despite a growing body of research, our knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems and the potential effects of human activity there remains scarce. However, available evidence shows that the ocean \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/deep-sea-mining-explained\">floor may take centuries to recover\u003C/a> from commercial exploitation. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">Mining activities could harm fragile marine habitats in many ways: from \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250703-significant-declines-in-some-species-after-deep-sea-mining-research\">killing\u003C/a> seabed organisms to disturbing the seafloor, which leads to turbid waters, reduced water quality, and broader negative impacts on sea life, potentially affecting areas much larger than the actual mining site. Hence, many nations have called for a ban on deep-sea mining, with French President Emmanuel Macron \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/madness-world-leaders-call-for-deep-sea-mining-moratorium-at-un-ocean-summit/\">describing\u003C/a> it as ‘madness’. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"\">Why consider deep-sea mining at all?\u003C/h3>\u003Cp id=\"\">Given these risks, the question remains: if deep-sea mining is so harmful, why is it even on the table?\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">The answer lies in a growing global dilemma. The energy transition requires vast amounts of raw materials for renewable energy infrastructure, electrification, and related activities. For example, the global demand for nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements is \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2024\">estimated\u003C/a> to double by 2040 if nations stick to their climate commitments. The world cannot wait—it needs these materials now. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">However, new mining projects on land face numerous challenges, such as resistance by local communities—particularly vocal in Europe—and environmental concerns. Many potential mining sites are \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://eeb.org/new-report-unwraps-solutions-for-eu-countries-to-end-the-packaging-waste-crisis-2/\">located\u003C/a> in areas no less vulnerable than seabed ecosystems. Not to mention the long lead times and investments required to bring new projects online.\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">By contrast, deep-sea mining is increasingly framed by some as a ‘lesser evil’: it could help close supply gaps and accelerate the energy transition. Proponents emphasise that mining at sea will not lead to deforestation, toxic tailings, displacement of people and other impacts associated with terrestrial mining. Because nodules have typically a high mineral content, hence deep-sea mining also produces relatively less waste for its value. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">According to deep-sea mining advocates, strict regulation would ensure the restoration of ecosystems after extraction and compensation for damage to the environment and affected communities. Such regulation is not always present—or enforced—on land, where mining often occurs in places with weak governance and involves informal labour or even \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara\">slavery\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">But how environmental regulations will be enforced at sea remains an open question. Does the ISA have the resources to monitor activity and hold violators accountable? International law is often undermined by political interests, with many nations openly ignoring its mandates—for example, Israel in Gaza and Russia in Ukraine. Similar dynamics may play out in international waters.\u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">Experience with offshore fossil fuel extraction and industrial fishing offers little reason to believe that responsible sourcing will become the industry standard at sea. Measures intended to ensure responsible practices are often sidelined by commercial interests, and even when adopted, they are difficult to enforce. Oversight is expensive, easy to evade, and evidence of violations will be hard to obtain.\u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"\">Circular economy as an alternative solution\u003C/h3>\u003Cp id=\"\">Lesser evil or not, deep-sea mining could still be avoided, especially given that viable alternatives exist.\u003Cstrong id=\"\"> \u003C/strong>Meeting the demand for raw materials is no easy task, but some options are less harmful than opening up the ocean floor. Consider the circular economy, which emphasises reducing demand by extending the lifetime of products and equipment, reusing and repairing existing stock, and recycling. A growth in recycling capabilities alone could \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/recycling-of-critical-minerals\">lower the need\u003C/a> for virgin raw materials by 25-40% by 2050. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">This potential is recognised in the \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials/critical-raw-materials-act_en\">EU Critical Raw Materials Act\u003C/a>, which promotes recycling alongside a growth in new mining initiatives within its boundaries. It contains legally binding measures to improve the collection of material-rich waste, ensure its recycling, and recover critical raw materials from extractive waste. To incentivise magnet recycling, the Act sets requirements on recyclability and recycled content. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">But recycling isn’t enough on its own. Reducing inefficiencies and excessive material use is equally essential. Take electric cars, for example. The latest data \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/trends-in-electric-cars?ref=csofutures.com&utm_source=chatgpt.com\">show\u003C/a>s that roughly two‑thirds of EV models introduced in 2023 are large cars, SUVs, or pickups—a sharp rise from under 50% just a few years ago. This trend is driven more by consumer preferences and profit motives than necessity. Smaller EVs are technologically feasible, require smaller batteries, take fewer materials to make, and consume less energy. So, before rushing to mine more lithium, we should consider concepts that use smaller batteries in the first place. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">The same logic applies to renewable energy infrastructure. Currently, 64% of materials from decommissioned wind turbines are recycled. However, the sector's overall circularity remains around 30% due to the heavy reliance on virgin materials. Some components, such as wind turbine blades, are currently made from unrecyclable fibreglass. But alternatives already exist, like biocompatible resin and other recyclable composites. According to a \u003Ca id=\"\" href=\"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5d26d80e8836af2d12ed1269/637ba902b1ec3f7792968915_20221121%20-%20BAIN%20report%20-%20Machinery%20_%20%20Equipment%20-%20210x297mm.pdf\">report\u003C/a> by Circle Economy and Bain & Company, designing turbines with both efficiency and recyclability in mind could reduce the demand for new materials by up to 15% by 2040. \u003C/p>\u003Ch3 id=\"\">Tapping circular potential before the deep sea\u003C/h3>\u003Cp id=\"\">Like the ocean floor, the circular economy holds vast—and largely untapped—potential.\u003Cstrong id=\"\"> \u003C/strong>But unlike deep-sea mining, its impacts are well understood and overwhelmingly positive. A circular economy can reduce environmental pressures while enhancing the long-term resilience of the global economy. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">There is no denying that new mining projects are necessary to support the energy transition, decarbonise our energy systems, and mitigate climate change. But deep-sea mining should be a last resort, not a first option. Only after we eliminate inefficiencies, maximise recycling, and exhaust the safest land-based mining options should it even be considered. \u003C/p>\u003Cp id=\"\">That time has not yet come.\u003C/p>",[],"published",false,[202,208,214,219],{"id":203,"title":204,"type":84,"image":205,"isCE":206,"edit":200,"date":207},"bKZM"," Why economic growth hides a massive loss of value","https://kh-assets.prod.circularity-gap.world/main-image/PAZpy33DFUnu55sI.jpg",true,"2026-05-26T13:14:50.950Z",{"id":209,"title":210,"type":211,"image":212,"isCE":206,"edit":200,"date":213},"ybP6","Clothing the Footwear Loop","report","https://kh-assets.prod.circularity-gap.world/main-image/kE_4C1VwqpD5in2K.jpg","2026-06-01T08:57:59.120Z",{"id":215,"title":216,"type":84,"image":217,"isCE":206,"edit":200,"date":218},"tmb2","How circular lighting is delivering real-world impact\n","https://kh-assets.prod.circularity-gap.world/main-image/wOf3ePYLd-ai-nTe.jpg","2026-05-26T13:33:16.876Z",{"id":220,"title":221,"type":211,"image":222,"isCE":206,"edit":200,"date":223},"fIcd","Building movements in the informal economy: Lessons for advancing labour rights in the circular economy","https://kh-assets.prod.circularity-gap.world/main-image/zW1aMtSn3z5zkRmH.jpg","2026-06-04T09:12:05.528Z",{"likeCount":193,"isLiked":200}]