Developing and enhancing research activities in recycling and eco-design: Such are the ambitions of the Urban Mines Chair, created in 2014 by the eco-organization Ecosystem, in partnership with the ParisTech Foundation and three grandes écoles: Arts et Métiers, Chimie ParisTech and Mines ParisTech.
This teaching and research chair is dedicated to waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which contain many recyclable materials, including rare metals. In other words, WEEE are absolute "urban mines" that are widespread today. In the context of depleting natural resources, the exploitation of WEEE can be part of a circular economy approach, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The chair was renewed for 5 years (2019-2024) in March 2019, it is version 2.
THE THREE RESEARCH AXES OF VERSION 2
The Chair's missions are threefold: the development of new quality secondary materials, the definition of economic models for recycling, and training actions. In terms of research, three main areas of focus are identified:
Optimizing the recycling of strategic metals
This theme brings together specialists in the physical chemistry of processes, materials chemists, physical chemists of colloids and specialists in analytical sciences, pooling their skills to study the interface of materials and processes.
Recycling of plastics and integration of recycled plastics in design
Two Arts et Métiers laboratories are working on this topic: the I2M-IMC (Institut de Mécanique et d'Ingénierie - Mécanique et Conception) branch of the Chambéry Institute, the school's center of expertise on recycling and eco-design, and the PIMM (Procédés et Ingénierie en Mécanique et Matériaux) laboratory, which brings together specialists from various fields: mechanics of materials and structures, polymer chemistry, aging and recycling, etc.
Developing new models for the circular economy
The CGS (Centre de Gestion Scientifique) team at Mines ParisTech is interested in the economic, managerial and governance dimensions of urban mines. It has recognized expertise in the fields of innovation management, CSR (corporate social responsibility) and eco-design.
