Recent Advances in Recycling of Copper‐Based Waste Materials: A Critical Review

ABSTRACT Copper plays a crucial role in the civilization of our lives. This review examines the flow of copper from the mining of ores to the end‐of‐life product, with particular emphasis on the recovery and re‐functionalization of copper and copper‐containing wastes. Beginning with the analysis of the global copper market, reserves, supply, and demand, a comprehensive account of the general copper recycling processes is presented, followed by the recycling of copper from traditional application fields such as power transmission, construction, and printed circuit boards, which contribute 10%–20% of the raw materials for annual refined copper products. Considering that copper is increasingly utilized in emerging fields such as batteries, catalysts, and biomedicine, the challenge of dealing with waste products from these sectors will become increasingly acute. This review not only explores and analyses the current state of copper recycling as a metal but also comprehensively investigates the areas of repair, reuse, and re‐functionalization of waste products, providing a theoretical basis and technical directions for the future development and transformation of the copper market.