From 2019 to 2025, several Australian State and Territory Governments and Geoscience Australia commissioned mine waste exploration across Australia to identify potential critical metal resources. In total, 77 mine waste features/sites were investigated by the University of Queensland with a diverse range of material sampled (eg tailings, waste rock, spent heap leach, slag). These were analysed using an integrated geochemistry-mineralogy-mineral chemistry approach. The program highlights included identification of potential Co resources in Qlds NW Minerals Province, Tennant Creek (NT) and Western Tasmania; indium in greisen and VHMS mine waste in Qld; Sb enrichment in Pine Creek (NT) and NSW, REEs in SA and WA, and W in the NE Minerals Province, Qld. Since the final delivery of this pre-competitive data in 2025, intended to be input into the Geoscience Australia Atlas of Australia’s Remining Potential, Regeneration Enterprises and Hillgrove Resources have already established projects at two of these sites (Mt Oxide, Qld and Kanmantoo, SA) to recover critical metals (Cu and Co) and industrial minerals (garnet) from waste rock and tailings respectively. However, many more critical metal business opportunities could be developed due to the nature of the data collected ie mineral texture, metal deportment and mineral associations. Rapid identification of tailored mineral processing pathways for beneficiation and metal recovery is only made possible with these data. This presentation provides a comprehensive summary of critical metal deportment in Australia’s mine waste based on results of this national campaign. It will also highlight how the collected data can be effectively used to: i) guide flow sheet design for critical metal recovery using a combination of established and innovative technologies; and ii) demonstrate how the entire secondary resource can be reused (ie reduction of waste after reprocessing) modelling a blue print for other countries to follow as part of the global push towards circularity in the mining sector.