67 paradigm, tailings are generated as residual materials and stored in surface facilities, often for indefinite periods, resulting in the accumulation of large inventories with long-term environmental, geotechnical, and safety implications. This approach reflects the broader linear economy model of “take–make–dispose,” which has been increasingly recognized as unsustainable in the face of growing industrial activity, declining ore grades, and pressure on finite natural resources (Müller, 2007; Ghisellini et al., 2016). In contrast, the circular economy seeks to decouple economic development from the consumption of virgin raw materials by extending material lifecycles, reducing waste generation, and reintegrating residual materials into productive systems (Müller, 2007; Kirchherr et al., 2017). When applied to the mining sector, and specifically to tailings management, circular economy principles challenge the long‑standing perception of tailings as permanent waste and promote their consideration as potential secondary resources or dynamically managed materials over the mine lifecycle (Chinchin, 2008; Kinnunen et al., 2022). Circular economy strategies applied to tailings management typically include: • reduction of tailings generation through process optimization and improved mineral recovery efficiency; • reprocessing of legacy and operational tailings to recover residual valuable minerals; • reuse of tailings as construction materials, aggregates, or underground backfill; and • adoption of alternative disposal technologies, such as thickened, paste, or filtered tailings systems, to reduce reliance on conventional tailings dams and associated long‑term liabilities (Lottermoser, 2010; Villachica et al., 2021). Several studies have demonstrated that tailings may contain economically significant concentrations of residual metals that were not recoverable using historical processing technologies, particularly in legacy facilities (Chinchin, 2008; Kinnunen et al., 2022). Advances in mineral processing methods, materials engineering, and tailings dewatering technologies have therefore renewed interest in tailings valorization as part of broader circular economy strategies within the mining industry (Lottermoser, 2010). Despite these potential benefits, the application of circular economy principles to tailings management introduces additional technical and engineering complexity. Tailings are inherently heterogeneous materials, with physical, geotechnical, and geochemical properties that vary spatially and evolve over time. Circular interventions—such as re‑mining, reprocessing, or modifications to disposal configurations—can alter stress regimes, pore pressure distributions, drainage behavior, and material fabric, directly influencing stability mechanisms and long‑term performance (Vick, 1990; Franks et al., 2021). As a result, circular economy initiatives in tailings management cannot be approached solely as sustainability‑driven or resource‑efficiency measures. Their successful
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