Abstract: A method and system for separating, collecting and isolating radioactive metallic elements from low grade, dry, solid non-metallic nuclear bulk waste that includes physically degrading the low grade waste by shredding or grinding into small pieces, configuring the bulk waste into a waste stream, bombarding the waste stream with microwave energy at a preselected frequency treating the waste stream in a time varying magnetic field, causing the radioactive particles to disperse away from the bulk waste and collecting the separated micron sized radioactive particles. The present method and system provide for a low cost, non-complex system of separating out conductive radioactive particles from essentially non-metallic, dry, low grade nuclear waste allowing safe return to the environment of 95% to 99%, by volume, of the processed nuclear waste, greatly reducing the volume of nuclear waste that must be safely stored.