Researchers, engineers and policymakers have called for innovative approaches to transform mining waste into valuable resources, warning that the growing volumes of mine tailings and wastewater generated by mining activities could become a major environmental challenge if left unmanaged. The call was made at the 2026 Mineral Waste Valorisation Research Conference held by the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST),