Turning Electronic Waste into Gold – The Solution to ‘E-Waste Guilt’?

The Royal Mint has revealed plans to build a “world-first� plant in South Wales to recover gold from UK electronic waste. The pioneering facility will help address the growing environmental issue of E-Waste, alongside fostering invaluable skills in Britain’s job market When complete in 2023, the new venture will support about 40 jobs. The Royal Mint aims to recover gold within circuit boards using patented new chemistry from the Canadian company Excir. All going well, the plant will be capable of recovering more than 99 percent of the precious metals contained within electronic waste – and can even selectively target different metals in seconds. The plant is expected to process up to 90 tonnes of UK-sourced circuit boards per week when fully operational – generating hundreds of kilograms of gold per year.