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(Pocket-lint) — The Royal Mint has announced plans to build a processing plant that can turn your electrical waste into gold.
The UK is one of the largest sources of electrical waste, with many old devices such as phones and laptops being discarded when they are no longer needed.
But these devices contain many items that can be recycled, as well as many chemicals (such as batteries) that do not belong in landfills. These are the precious and rare metals that the Royal Mint wants to salvage from this scrap.
Thanks to a patented chemical process, developed by the Canadian company tax The Royal Mint can extract metals such as gold from the circuit boards of old electrical appliances.
While the recovery process has been lab proven, Royal Mint is building a plant to do it on an industrial scale.
To be built in South Wales and open in 2023, the plant will process 90 tons of waste per week, extract hundreds of kilograms of gold each year and prevent this waste from being shipped abroad.
“We estimate that 99% of circuit boards in the UK are currently shipped abroad to be processed at high temperatures in foundries. With the amount of e-waste increasing each year, this problem will only get worse.” , said the Royal Mint’s chief growth officer, Sean Millard.
“When fully operational, our plant will be the first of its kind in the world – processing tons of e-waste every week and providing a new source of high-quality gold directly to the Royal Mint.”
The problem of electrical waste is one we should all take seriously: while there are metals that can be recovered, there are toxic items that need to be disposed of properly – as well as the problem of people throwing away appliances that are still in perfect condition.
Many councils in the UK offer electrical appliance recycling, either at community recycling centers or through door-to-door groups if your appliance has reached the end of its life – but it’s also worth considering if your appliance is of value to someone else.
Trading with your old device can earn you some cash. For example, Currys in the UK currently hosts a file Garbage Cash Month while services such as magpie music They often give you money for your old hardware. For those in the United States, there is also a wide range of recycling options.
Do not throw electrical waste into the trash, it is ideal for recycling.
Written by Chris Hall.
“Web fanatic. Travel scholar. Certified music evangelist. Coffee expert. Unapologetic internet guru. Beer nerd.”
