Bank of England and Royal Mint Team Up to Tackle Electronic Waste
The Royal Mint and the Bank of England have joined forces to tackle electronic waste in a sustainable way. Under their agreement, thousands of decommissioned desk phones from the Bank of England's premises were sent to The Royal Mint's Reformation Metals facility in South Wales.
At this state-of-the-art facility, gold and other precious metals are extracted from the processed e-waste. The initiative prioritizes reuse before recycling, with equipment assessed to identify any resale opportunities.
The Royal Mint unveiled its Reformation Metals facility in August 2024, in partnership with Canadian clean-tech company Excir. This 3,700m² facility can process up to 4,000 tonnes of printed circuit boards found in e-waste annually, recovering gold and other precious metals.
According to Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer at The Royal Mint, 'This work brings together two iconic British institutions, The Royal Mint and The Bank of England, in support of shared sustainability goals. Together, we're recovering valuable materials for future use and supporting the UK’s circular economy.'