Abstract
This article gives an overview of solid waste and tailing generated by the mining activity over the years in Albania. It presents the geographical distribution of the disposal areas giving a quantitative and qualitative assessment of this waste. It reveals that the best approach to deal with mining waste is their recycling to recover lost mineral products deposited in the mining waste and tailing dam. This loss is due to the type of technology used over the years in mines and to the low efficiency of the processing equipment; nonetheless, the new treatment methods can represent a great potential for the recycling industries in the mining activity. At the same time the rehabilitation of the disposal areas is of great importance.