<p>Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAFD) is a hazardous byproduct of steelmaking that poses significant environmental and regulatory challenges due to its toxic-metal content, while also representing a strategic secondary resource within circular-economy frameworks aimed at reducing primary raw-material extraction and waste disposal. This critical review evaluates current and emerging EAFD valorization pathways—including hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, and hybrid routes—through an integrated sustainability perspective that combines environmental performance, techno-economic feasibility, product-market integration, and governance considerations. Rather than providing a purely technological comparison, the analysis systematically examines key sustainability indicators such as energy, water, and reagent consumption per tonne of EAFD; emission profiles (CO₂, liquid and solid effluents); material recovery efficiencies; and secondary residue generation, alongside logistical constraints related to transport, product specifications, and downstream market demand. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of EAFD valorization in mitigating environmental liabilities, enhancing industrial symbiosis, and supporting resource-efficiency strategies at regional and global scales. The review further examines interactions among waste generators, technology providers, end-users, and policymakers, highlighting regulatory, technological, and market-related barriers that currently limit large-scale implementation, and ultimately proposes a decision-oriented framework to guide the sustainable and circular recovery of valuable metals from EAFD.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>