Selection of an appropriate technology for flotation tailings disposal using the saw method

A global trend is the development of sustainable mining practices to minimize environmental impact.
Following these trends, the lead and zinc mine with underground exploitation from North Macedonia applies three variants for the disposal of flotation tailings, including disposal in a tailings dam, dry stacking, and the backfill method. The flotation tailings used for the backfill method account for about 42% of the total amount, about 30% is used for dry stacking, while the remaining part (about 28%) is deposited in a tailings dam. Based on the presented disposal technology for all three variants, a multicriteria analysis was performed to determine which of these technologies is most appropriate for achieving the goals of sustainable mining and environmental protection. The Simple Additive Weights method was applied, and decision-making criteria were established based on scientific and expert knowledge in this field. The results show that the most appropriate method that will contribute to the development of sustainable mining and environmental protection is the backfill method.