Posted:
October 20, 2021 23:59 GMT
Tests of the technology developed by Canadian startup Excir have demonstrated its ability to extract 99.9% pure gold from cellphones and tablets.
The Royal Mint, the UK mint, said on Wednesday that it plans to bring innovative technology to the country to recycle gold from e-waste.
The volume of discarded electronic devices around the world is only increasing: by 2021 it reached more than 57 million tonnes and only a fifth of them end up being recycled, according to estimates. In this context, this new technology will help to have “a real impact on one of the biggest environmental challenges in the world”, said Anne Jessopp, CEO of the Royal Mint. BBC.
To carry out the plan, the British Mint has signed an agreement with the Canadian startup Excir with which it hopes to recover 99% or more of the gold present on the circuit boards of the devices.
The technology developed by Excir makes it possible to extract the precious metal at room temperature, the process will therefore be carried out in a Royal Mint facility and it will not be necessary to send the waste to a foundry.
Left unchecked, the volume of scrapped devices worldwide will reach 74 million tonnes by 2030, according to estimates the international forum for the management of waste electrical and electronic devices (WEEE Forum).
The British Mint has already successfully tested the new technology, resulting in 99.9% pure gold, and hopes to mine palladium, copper and silver from devices in the future.
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