To de-pollute the natural environment is one of the main challenges of today’s society. In Castilla-La Mancha, water pollution is especially important due to its scarcity, as is unfortunately proving to be the case in recent years, which could limit its future social and economic development. Additionally, important specific problems of soil contamination are also detected, which is also a necessary and non-renewable natural resource that can generate leachate that contaminates water resources. Most of the environmental problems of soils and water resources outlined have their origin in a non-existent or ineffective management of waste from human activities. The proper management of this waste, within the framework of the circular economy, would imply both the mitigation of its environmental impact and the recovery of the valuable resources contained in the aforementioned waste.

Currently, the high consumption of electrical and electronic equipment is generating a high amount of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RAEE). These wastes have large amounts of metals that, if not properly managed, could cause pollution episodes. In parallel, Castilla-La Mancha has a long mining tradition dating back to Roman times. As a result of the mining activity carried out, a large amount of waste has been generated that, in many cases, accumulated in mining environments without proper treatment. Currently, these Mining Wastes are Abandoned (RMA) due to the cessation of activity of mining companies, with the consequent environmental problems that this generates.

Both types of waste are characterized by their high metal content. In accordance with the Strategic Plan for Non-Energy Mineral Resources of Castilla-La Mancha. Horizon 2020 (PERMINE), mining waste dumped in tailings, ponds or dams must be quantified and characterized, as well as evaluating the degree of recycling or reuse that could be made of them in order to their recovery. Additionally, in 2015 the national government defined the Action Plan for the Circular Economy in order to promote the recycling and recovery of waste so that materials and resources remain in the economy for as long as possible and that waste generation is minimized. The Spanish Circular Economy Strategy (EEEC) aligns with the objectives of the European Union’s two circular economy action plans, «Closing the loop: an EU action plan for the circular economy» of 2015 and «A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe» of 2020, as well as the European Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In this context, the GEOCENTRIC project aims to combine biotechnology and electrochemical treatments for the decontamination and recovery of matter and energy contained in high-metal waste by applying circular economy principles. To achieve this goal, the GEOCENTRIC project will address the following aspects:

1) The characterization of the metals contained in the RAEE as well as the RMA (acid drainage of mines, tailings and ponds), in order to identify the types of waste most problematic from the environmental point of view, as well as the most susceptible to recovery through the technologies to be applied.

2) Study of the technical feasibility of the application of natural techniques, fito and bio, coupled to electrokinetic remediation, for the decontamination of sludge from mining ponds and abandoned tailings, as well as the eventual valorization of metals and rare earths contained.

3) Study of the potential valorization of the vegetal biomass as carbonaceous materials by means of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) processes.