The Royal Mint extracts gold from recycled PCBs

This facility, located in south Wales, represents a significant leap forward in the sustainable recovery of precious metals.

Spanning 3,700 square metres, the facility uses world-first patented chemistry developed by Canadian clean tech company Excir. This innovative technology allows for the extraction of gold from printed circuit boards (PCBs) found in everyday electronic items such as TVs, laptops, and mobile phones within minutes. Remarkably, Excir’s chemistry operates at room temperature, making it a more energy-efficient and cost-effective method of gold recovery.

For the first time, the technology has been scaled from the laboratory to an industrial level. The new factory has the capacity to process up to 4,000 tonnes of PCBs from e-waste annually. This capability provides the UK’s oldest company with a sustainable method to ‘mine’ high-quality 999.9 purity gold. The recovered gold is already being utilised in The Royal Mint’s luxury jewellery collection, 886 by The Royal Mint.

According to the United Nations’ Global E-waste Monitor, the generation of worldwide e-waste is increasing by 2.6 million tonnes each year. In 2022, a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced, marking an 82% increase since 2010. The new factory offers a sustainable solution to this escalating environmental challenge, ensuring that valuable finite resources are recovered and other materials are appropriately treated for onward processing.

Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive at The Royal Mint, commented: “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 craftsmanship The Royal Mint is famous for by creating new jobs and reskilling opportunities for our employees.

“We have ambitious plans, and I am proud that we are safeguarding The Royal Mint for another 1,100 years.”

In its commitment to leading in sustainable precious metals, The Royal Mint has been actively engaging with major industry bodies to help produce the first standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the definition of recycled gold. This initiative aims to provide clarity to the industry, end consumers, and other stakeholders.

Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer at The Royal Mint, added: “The factory underpins our commitment to using sustainable precious metals and providing a new source of high quality, recovered gold.

“It allows us to reduce our reliance on mined materials and is another example of how we’re working to decarbonise our operations.

“Our commitment to growth, innovation and circular economy principles shapes an exciting and more sustainable future for The Royal Mint, our people and our communities.”