Executive Summary 1

• 1.Introduction: The Current State of Global Nuclear Waste 5

• 2.The Technology of Nuclear Fuel Recycling 11

  2.1. Purex and Alternative Reprocessing Methods 13

  2.2. Fast Neutron Reactors and Waste Actinide Burning 18

• 3.Economic Feasibility and Infrastructure Costs 24

  3.1. Capital Investment in Recycling Facilities 26

  3.2. Lifecycle Cost Comparisons: Once-Through vs. Closed Fuel Cycle 31

• 4.Proliferation Risks and Geopolitical Security 37

  4.1. Safeguards and Plutonium Management 39

  4.2. International Frameworks and Multilateral Controls 44

• 5.Environmental and Safety Dimensions 50

  5.1. High-Level Waste Volume Reduction 52

  5.2. Long-Term Radiotoxicity and Deep Geological Disposal 57

• 6.Policy Recommendations for Sustainable Nuclear Energy 63

  References 68