Urban mining is the process of recovering and recycling the valuable components in urban waste. This requires the processing of secondary raw materials such as municipal solid waste, production waste and construction and demolition waste. From a mineral processing point of view, urban mining utilizes the same unit operations and processing equipment used in the processing of primary raw materials. However, some of the equipment is particularly interesting when it comes to processing of urban waste. This includes the use of high voltage pulse fragmentation (HVPF) which, compared to mechanical comminution, can yield unprecedented liberation of the individual components in e-waste, metallic slag or reinforced concrete. 

As for separation, sensor based sorting permits the separation of larger particles based on their appearance (e.g. colour, texture or shape) or on their ability to block x-rays (i.e. their density). Furthermore, non-ferrous metals (e.g. aluminium and copper) can be separated from non-metals using the eddy current separator. Improved liberation and the ability to separate larger objects at an early stage of the process saves energy and enhances recovery.

The table below shows a selection of equipment of particular relevance for urban mining: