Eli5 why can’t radioactive waste be used again? Why is it waste?
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Most spent fuel from nuclear power plants can actually be used again. Fuel is “spent” when it is poisoned by waste radioisotopes but something like 90% of the original energy remains and so reprocessing into MOX fuels can allow for spent fuel to be reused. Unfortunately this is almost never done, due to a combination of cost and the fact people fear anything nuclear and strongly oppose construction of fuel processing facilities (as well as waste storage facilities).
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