Sourcing of critical elements and industrial minerals from mine waste – The final evolutionary step back to sustainability of humankind?

Humanity developed from bipedal hominidae via hunters and collectors to a modern high tech society in about 6 Ma. Survival was ensured by a thorough and sustainable use of the available resources during 5,999,750 years. In the last ~250 years (Anthropocene), humanity left the path of sustainability, due to extensive growth, extensive use of metals and fossil energy resources, destabilizing the global ecosystem to an extent, which endangers now the future of humanity itself.