Conceptual and Methodological Framework on the Availability and Recoverability of Secondary Raw Materials focusing on Critical Raw Materials

he effective management of raw material supply and demand requires reliable and complete information and foresight on Secondary Raw Materials (SRMs) stocks and flows throughout their life cycles. Therefore, having knowledge about the availability and recoverability of SRMs, especially Critical Raw Materials (CRMs), is crucial. Existing knowledge platforms, such as the Urban Mine Platform (www.urbanmineplatform.eu) do not include the recoverability of SRMs or CRMs. During the Horizon Europe project FutuRaM, a conceptual framework is developed, extending existing frameworks to include recycling pathways showing both the availability and recoverability of SRMs. The FutuRaM framework includes four post-consumer waste streams (vehicles, batteries, electronic and electrical equipment, construction and demolition) as well as tailings from mining activities and slags and ashes. In the first step, the concepts of "availability" and "recoverability" need to be defined by integrating all necessary requirements and boundary conditions of the six FutuRaM waste streams. This includes addressing aspects such as the quality of recycling or the fast development of innovative recycling technologies to ensure a comprehensive definition and subsequent assessment of recoverability. A conducted literature study further highlighted the need to build the FutuRaM framework on existing concepts and frameworks, e.g., the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework. To increase functionality of the developed framework, it is crucial to integrate available data, such as the European Waste Statistics data sets. In a further step, this available but widely scattered data needs to be harmonized to be fit for use in a SRMs availability and recoverability assessment. The harmonization and consolidation of data sets include the integration of an uncertainty assessment, which builds the basis for providing reliable information. In our contribution, we will present the FutuRaM conceptual and methodological framework that aims to effectively support informed decision-making on the recoverability of SRMs and CRMs. This framework will be exemplified through case studies showing the crucial steps during the development in order to successfully contribute to advancing resource management for industry, policymakers, and researchers.