Royal Mint Strikes Gold in Electronic Waste

The Royal Mint in Britain is turning electronic waste into luxury jewelry through an innovative process. Old Bank of England telephones and other devices are dismantled, and their gold content is extracted using a patented method that dissolves the metal at room temperature.

Each telephone contains about 30 milligrams of gold, worth around £3 (US$4.00) at current prices. A modern smartphone contains roughly four pounds' worth of gold.

The process is unusual in the recycling industry, where much electronic waste never reaches proper facilities. The Royal Mint's plant can process up to 4,000 tonnes of electronic waste per year, containing about 400 kilos of gold.