According to Orano, the recycling of nuclear materials will continue to develop

Over 50 years ago, the nuclear industry was one of the first sectors to introduce recycling in order to reduce the volume of waste generated and save on materials. As a result, in France 10% of nuclear electricity is generated using recycled materials. While all industries are now developing recycling and at a time when the circular economy is being promoted to preserve raw materials, it would not make sense to classify recyclable nuclear materials as waste. Who could imagine turning the clock back on metal recycling and not reusing recyclable materials?

Nuclear materials are substances that have a very considerable energy potential and retain significant value even after being used in the nuclear reactor fleet. Thus, 300 grams of depleted uranium from the transformation of uranium into nuclear fuel or 1 gram of plutonium extracted from nuclear fuels produce as much energy as one tonne of crude oil. 

All forms of recyclable material (depleted uranium, uranium and plutonium) have been reused in the past and will be reused in the future. The stockpile of depleted uranium in France equates to eight years’ worth of consumption of electricity produced by our nuclear reactors. Uranium from recycling will again be recycled in reactors from 2023, increasing the amount of electricity produced with recycled materials to more than 20%. 
As for plutonium, it is already being recycled in reactors today. An R&D program combining studies and experimentation is being conducted by Orano alongside EDF and the CEA with a view to recycling plutonium several times over. The program aims to load a first test assembly into a reactor by 2025-2028, as stipulated in the industry agreement signed in January 2019.

With the reuse of these materials, it will be possible to generate up to 30% of nuclear electricity from recycled materials compared to the current 10%. This will make it possible to produce low-carbon electricity while economizing on raw materials and reducing the radiotoxicity and volume of the most highly radioactive waste. The cost of this activity represents less than 2% of the overall electricity bill.