Why recycling nuclear waste?

• Minimizes long-term storage needs: Recycling existing nuclear waste reduces the volume of high-level radioactive material, which in turn decreases the amount that needs to be stored in long-term geological repositories. This cuts down on the physical space needed for waste storage, making disposal more manageable
• Fuel recovery: Spent nuclear fuel still contains usable uranium and plutonium, which can be extracted and reused to produce new fuel for reactors. This reduces the need for fresh uranium mining and extends fuel supply
• Maximizes resource efficiency: By reusing these materials, more energy can be extracted from the same amount of raw material, improving the efficiency of nuclear power generation
• Improves safety: The reduction in radioactivity improves the safety of long-term
• Reduces Radioactivity: After recycling, the remaining waste is less radioactive over time. While high-level waste can remain hazardous for thousands of years, recycling can reduce the amount of long-lived radioactive material