Actinide Recycling

Actinide recycling refers to the process of recovering and reusing certain radioactive elements, primarily from spent nuclear fuel. As nuclear reactors produce energy, they generate waste containing actinides, which can be harmful and long-lived. Recycling involves chemically separating these actinides, allowing for their reuse as fuel in reactors or for other purposes. This process reduces the volume of nuclear waste, minimizes the need for mining new uranium, and can enhance energy security. Although technically complex, actinide recycling is an important step toward more sustainable and responsible management of nuclear materials.