Electronic devices consume tons of gold and silver each year. Most of it becomes garbage, land fill, along with the device. Recycling isn’t doing the job we hoped it would.
Annually over $21 billion in gold and silver is used to manufacture high tech PC’s, cell phones, tablets and other electronics world wide. A meager 15 percent of these metals are recovered. Dumping grounds for the electronics are 40 plus times richer in precious metals than ore than is mined out of the ground.
Last year, 320 tons or almost 8 percent of the world’s gold supply went into electronic or electrical products. More than 7,500 tons of silver met a similar fate. Although developed countries that actively recycle collect about 85 percent of their e-waste, developing countries have a much lower success rate. The recovery processes, whether in developed or developing countries, however leaves behind between 25 and 50 percent of the metals due to inefficient processes.
Although the price of gold is enticing, this is not a do-it-yourself project. Toxic or harmful chemicals are necessary when trying to extract gold from computer components. Cyanide and sulfuric acid are mentioned for starters. Mercury was used by the 49’ers in the California gold rush and continues in use today in developing nations.
Source: brightsideofnews.com
By Darleen Hartley