Land Disruption and Waste Generated
For every carat of diamond that is mined via traditional methods, nearly 100 square feet of land is disturbed and more 5798 pounds of mineral waste is created. The mining also offsets delicate biodiversity balances and renders the land unusable – even once mining activities have ceased.
By comparison, lab-grown diamonds disrupt just 0.07 square feet of land per carat and only 1 pound of mineral waste. According to Frost & Sullivan’s study, diamond-growing facilities “are often located in areas that have a negligible impact on the environment and have almost no impact on biodiversity in the area of operation.”
Human Impact
Diamond mining is a dangerous profession, and the industry has often been known for human rights violations, child labor and inhumane treatment of workers. As shown in movies like Blood Diamond and Beast of No Nation, mined diamonds are also often used as illegal currency to fund war and conflict-related activities throughout Africa.
Diamond mines are also vulnerable to collapse and explosion and workers often see increased cancer risk, hearing loss, lung problems, and other health issues as a result of their professions. In 2010, 33 miners in Chile were stuck below ground in a collapsed mine for 69 days.
All in all, mined diamonds result in 1 injury for every 1,000 workers annually, while lab-grown diamonds result in zero. The diamond mining industry also sees 80 days of lost work time (per 1,000 employees) every year due to injury.
LAB-GROWN VS MINED