Abstract: Red mud is a solid waste produced by alumina industry, with huge annual emissions.The discharge and stockpiling of a large amount of red mud not only causes resource waste, but also poses great environmental risks.In this paper, the output, basic properties and stockpiling hazards of red mud are introduced, and the main utilization directions of red mud are summarized and analyzed.The research show that the comprehensive utilization of red mud mainly focuses on the extraction of valuable metals, the preparation of building materials and environmental protection materials.The extraction of valuable metals mainly focuses on the recovery and utilization of iron and aluminum, and there are a variety of process routes to choose from.The preparation of building materials is the disposal method with the largest utilization of red mud, which can reduce the consumption of natural minerals from various aspects such as aggregate and environmental protection material, and promote the carbon emission reduction of building materials industry.Red mud can also be used as an environmentally friendly material to achieve the effect of “waste to waste”, but attention must be paid to the possible leaching of heavy metals to prevent the secondary harm of harmful substances.The research results are of great significance for the resource development and utilization of red mud in the future.