Royal Mint Recovers Gold from Electronic Waste
The Royal Mint in Wales has launched an initiative to recover gold from electronic waste. The plant can process around 4,000 tonnes of e-waste a year, containing about 400 kilos of gold. This is unusual in the industry, where much electronic waste never reaches proper recycling facilities.
New Bank of England office phones contain around 30 milligrammes of gold, worth around £3 at current prices. A modern smartphone contains roughly four pounds' worth of metal. Gold is prized in electronic circuits because it conducts electricity well and does not corrode.
The Royal Mint uses a patented process to dissolve the gold at room temperature, without external energy input or hazardous waste. The extracted gold is refined to improve its purity and used to make jewellery for the '886' brand.