The UK’s Royal Mint is set to turn e-waste into gold using technology from Canadian cleantech firm Excir. The new e-waste extraction facility which has opened in South Wales will process discarded PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) to extract gold, which otherwise would have been lost in waste streams. What makes the scheme unique, is that in a world first, the precious metal will be able to be extracted from e-waste on an industrial scale, using technology which has previously been utilised in a lab setting.
The Royal Mint expects to be able to process up to 4,000 tonnes of PCBs each year, creating a more sustainable way to “mine” high-quality 999.9 purity gold. Recovered gold is already being used in the luxury jewellery collection “886 by The Royal Mint”.
PCBs are found in everyday electrical items such as Laptops, PCs and mobile phones, and the new extraction facility will provide a cost-effective and efficient means of resource recovery, where Excir’s technology extracts gold in a matter of minutes, at room temperature. According to Excir, 99.9% of gold can be extracted, and it is estimated that up to 450kg of gold could be extracted by The Royal Mint each year, worth around £27 million at todays prices.
In a press release Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive at The Royal Mint, said: “The Royal Mint is transforming for the future, and the opening of our Precious Metals Recovery factory marks a pivotal step in our journey. We are not only preserving finite precious metals for future generations, but we are also preserving the expert craftmanship The Royal Mint is famous for by creating new jobs and reskilling opportunities for our employees”[i]
E-waste is a significant issue, where earlier this year the UN published the most recent data from its Global E-waste Monitor, uncovering the staggering volume of electronics being disposed of annually. Their study found that in 2022, e-waste reached 62 million tonnes, an increase of 82% since records were first started in 2010, making this equivalent in weight to more than 220 Empire State buildings (365,000 tonnes each). Concerningly, just 22.3% of this waste was recorded as having been formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner. Additionally, The UN found that while formal collection and recycling grew from 8 billion kg in 2010 to 13.8 billion kg in 2022 (an average rate of 0.5 billion kg per year), e-waste generation has been growing by an average of 2.3 billion kg per annum. This means that e-waste generation is outpacing recycling by a factor of almost 5[ii].
Within e-waste streams sit valuable secondary materials and precious metals where the UN’s latest research estimates the $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for and increasing pollution risks to communities worldwide[iii]. It highlights the importance of new technologies and recycling schemes such as the partnership between the Royal Mint and Excir, with these set to play a critical role in tackling mounting e-waste and the subsequent challenge of resource recovery.
[i] New Factory Extracting Gold from E-Waste Unveiled by The Royal Mint | The Royal Mint
[iii] The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 - E-Waste Monitor (ewastemonitor.info)
Lauren has extensive experience as an analyst and market researcher in the digital technology and travel sectors. She has a background in researching and forecasting emerging technologies, with a particular passion for the Videogames and eSports industries. She joined the Critical Information Group as Head of Reports and Market Research at GRC World Forums, and leads the content and data research team at the Zero Carbon Academy. “What drew me to the academy is the opportunity to add content and commentary around sustainability across a wealth of industries and sectors.”
