A breakthrough innovation from researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) is offering a new way to turn one of the world’s most persistent industrial problems into a sustainable opportunity. Inspired by how plants naturally filter nutrients, scientists have developed a new system that can extract valuable minerals from mining wastewater while cleaning the water in the process.

The technology, called BERST (Bio-Inspired Extraction and Remediation System Technology), mimics how plant roots selectively absorb and reject ions. In nature, plants regulate what they take in, allowing them to thrive even in challenging soil conditions. BERST uses the same principle: specially engineered membranes separate metals such as lithium, cobalt, copper, and phosphorus from polluted water, leaving cleaner water behind that can be reused or safely released.

This approach has the potential to transform mining waste into a new resource stream. Global mining operations generate billions of tons of wastewater every year, much of it rich in trace minerals but too toxic for reuse. With BERST, that waste could become a source of critical raw materials needed for clean technologies such as electric vehicles and batteries—while simultaneously reducing pollution and water demand.

The technology is now being scaled for industrial use through a startup called Membrane Transporter Engineers (MTE), which is working to deploy bio-inspired membranes in active mining operations. If successful, it could help mining companies recover trillions of dollars’ worth of critical elements globally, while cutting down their environmental footprint.

However, challenges remain. Scaling up membrane systems to handle large volumes of wastewater requires overcoming engineering, cost, and maintenance barriers. Integrating such systems into existing mines will also demand significant investment and regulatory alignment. Still, early results are promising, and industry interest is growing fast.

This innovation reflects a broader shift in thinking—one that views waste as a resource and looks to nature for sustainable design solutions. By learning from the efficiency of living systems, technologies like BERST could help bridge the gap between economic growth and environmental responsibility, proving that the solutions to modern industry’s toughest challenges may already exist in nature itself.