Sustainable Minerals Institute

Ore-sand Objectives

Objective 1: Contribute to transforming production systems toward nose-to-tail mining

We aim to shift mining practices and mental models so that ore-sand is intentionally co-produced, and not treated as something it is not: waste.

This requires changes in culture, technology, investment frameworks, and policies to support a new model of mineral processing that reduces waste and adds value at the mine site. The goal is sector-wide uptake, not isolated success stories—anchored in enabling environments that include insurance, finance, and regulatory systems.

Objective 2: Enable mainstream market acceptance of ore-sand as a natural sand alternative

For ore-sand to scale, consumption systems must evolve. We focus on what pragmatic, mainstream market actors need—clear standards, supply reliability, costcompetitiveness, and policy signals. Changing perceptions, procurement practices, and supply networks is key to ensuring OreSand is not seen as a niche material but as aviable, trusted substitute across construction and industrial sectors.

Objective 3: Help shift individual innovation adoption effort towards an ecosystem-led adoption effort

Systemic change cannot hinge on a single company’s effort. Instead, we champion an ecosystem approach—engaging producers, users, investors, researchers, and policy actors to co-create enabling conditions for adoption. OreSand’s success depends onovercoming systemic barriers across markets, mindsets, and governance. Supporting the emergence of entrepreneurial OreSand innovation ecosystems will catalyse scalable, resilient impact worldwide.