Abstract: This chapter investigates the conceptualisation and governance challenges associated with urban mining in the context of inter-municipal cooperation in Norway. The rationale for framing the concept of urban mining in this way is the assumption that forging collaborative arrangements locally may in practice represent real institution-building. This chapter broadly connects to the literature on local and inter-local governance, and more specifically to the theme of collective action between local governments. The material is based primarily on interviews conducted with key public service providers in three Norwegian regions. Our findings reveal a lack of well-defined parameters for urban mining within the current inter-municipal governance framework, leading to a conflation of the urban mining concept with the general notion of waste management related to circularity. This chapter also highlights the absence of clear cultural frameworks to support urban mining, which has impeded the development of institutional mechanisms. An appropriate normative framework for urban mining remains elusive, contrasting with the more accessible circularity concept. The influence of the market, which tends to outpace regulatory change, raises questions about the current role of local governance in urban mining. However, the emergent nature of urban mining allows for experimentation with new policy initiatives, which are contingent upon overcoming the related transaction costs and path dependencies. Ultimately, the successful political institutionalisation of urban mining hinges on a proactive vanguard willing to break existing paths and establish new ones. This is contingent on collective action—not just locally, but as a joint effort between local and national policies. National authorities would be expected to play a significant role in such a process of increased institutionalisation.