The British mint Royal Mint is to extract gold from old TV sets, laptops, and mobile phones. A new factory in Wales has the capacity to process up to 4,000 tons of circuit boards from electronic waste each year, writes Royal Mint in a press release.
A chemical solution will be used to extract the gold from the scrap. The idea is that it will function as a more sustainable source of gold and reduce dependence on mining. Initially, the gold will be used to manufacture jewelry and later it will be made into commemorative coins.
4,000 tons of electronic waste can generate up to 450 kilos of gold, which is worth around 27 million pounds, according to BBC.
The mountain of electronic waste is a growing problem in the world. In 2022, 62 million tons of electrical appliances were thrown away, according to the UN's Global e-waste monitor. Less than a quarter was collected and recycled correctly.
