Promoting Sustainable Mining Communities through Integrating the Circular Economy in Construction and Demolition Waste Management: A Case of Unki Mine, Shurugwi, Zimbabwe

The concept of sustainable communities is threatened by various factors, including increased construction and demolition (C&D) waste from the mining sector. Construction and demolition waste from mines contributes to socio-economic and environmental problems. This accentuates the need to shift to a circular economy approach that minimises C&D waste generation and disposal. This study focused on integrating the circular economy into the management of C&D waste from Unki Mine to create sustainable mining communities. A mixed-methods research design was employed to integrate qualitative and quantitative methods. The semi-structured household survey included 42 respondents. A total of 7 key informants were interviewed, and 1 focus group discussion was held with 9 participants. Data collection employed semi-structured questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Findings show that C&D waste, including concrete, metal, rocks, plastics, timber, bricks, soil, and tiles, was generated by Unki Mine operations. A large proportion of the waste was composed of metals (27.87%), soil, sand, and rock (24.59%), and a combination of rubble and concrete (21.31%). Only 8.51% of respondents indicated awareness of Unki Mine’s approach to waste segregation. Key circular economy practices included repurposing timber and metal waste and the repurposing of rubble and concrete to build structures, pavements, and for gully reclamation. The mine's plans aim to expedite the implementation of approaches that convert waste into energy. The mine’s infrastructure development, policy implementation, waste auditing, and awareness programs that support resource circularity, aimed to create sustainable communities in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11.