Do you have a goldmine in your pocket?
The practice of urban mining has seen an increased growth in recent years. This is due to the precious metals contained within mobile phones, which include gold, copper, silver and platinum. When recycled, these metals are melted down and sold as nuggets to jewellers, investors and sometimes back to the manufacturers.
According to Ken Beyer, CEO of Cloud Blue, “there’s more gold in a pound of electronics than a pound of gold ore”. Therefore, as consumers upgrade to new phones, they are becoming increasingly aware of recycling their old ones. The iPhone is the most recycled phone on the market, with Google searches for ‘iPhone recycling’ peaking during new iPhone releases.
Over the past decade, the electronic waste industry has seen an increased growth. Urban writer and activist, Jane Jacobs, describes cities as “the mines of the future”. With more and more electronic devices entering the market, urban mining will play an important part in the future of electronic waste and how its recycled.
Infographic by 911metallurgist
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