The article is devoted to the urgent problem of increasing the environmental efficiency of mining enterprises in conditions of tougher environmental requirements, the need to implement the best available technologies and optimise the costs of environmental protection measures. The study of the ability of higher and lower plants to hyperaccumulate metals from sewage and polluted natural waters in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is of great scientific and applied importance, since the development of metallurgical production in the Polar region has led to significant pollution of natural water bodies, the existing methods of physical and chemical purification require large costs for the modernisation of production. Within the framework of the research the phytoextraction technology has been developed and tested, aimed at ensuring stable wastewater aftertreatment during the whole vegetation period, reducing the negative impact on the environment and, as a consequence, the ecological payments of enterprises. Innovative character of the technology consists in application of biological treatment (phytoextraction) both in summer period for direct absorption of metal ions from waste water, and for regeneration of vermiculite contaminated by waste water treatment in winter period, due to which the process of waste water after-treatment becomes low-waste. The possibility of obtaining a useful product, namely, metals (phytomining) from plant residues formed in the process of water treatment is shown.