Mining plays a critical role in the global economy but generates large volumes of waste, particularly waste rock and tailings, which pose significant long-term environmental, geotechnical, and socioeconomic challenges. While numerous studies address individual aspects of mine waste, such as characterization, safe storage, environmental impacts, or valorization, studies that coherently synthesize these aspects within a single framework remain limited. This review aims to provide an introductory overview for new readers and presents recent developments in mine-waste characterization and management pathways. The paper synthesizes global trends in mine-waste generation, examines the consequences of storage facility failures, and considers key issues such as acid mine drainage and heavy-metal/metalloid leaching. A comparative assessment of the geotechnical properties of major mine and industrial waste streams, including red mud, metal tailings, coal tailings, mine overburden, and fly ash, is presented to highlight both commonalities and material-specific behavior relevant to reuse. Building on this characterization, the review evaluates valorization strategies through geopolymerization and alkali activation, discussing their mechanisms, limitations, and suitability for different waste types. The review also identifies key knowledge gaps, including the need for integrated geotechnical–geoenvironmental frameworks and long-term performance assessment, thereby providing a structured basis for advancing sustainable mine-waste management.
Verma et al. (Thu,) studied this question.