Every day, millions of people discard electronic devices without realizing they’re tossing away more than just gadgets—they’re throwing away treasure. Hidden inside those old smartphones, laptops, and circuit boards is 22-karat gold, which could be worth thousands of dollars if recovered properly. Thanks to revolutionary scientific advancements, unlocking this valuable resource from electronic waste is becoming safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly than ever before.
Unlocking gold hidden inside electronic waste
Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to discarded electronic devices that most of us consider junk. But beneath their plastic and metal facades lies a wealth of precious metals. Notably, 22-karat gold coatings and components are present in many of these devices, offering a hidden store of value. Traditionally, recovering gold from e-waste involved hazardous chemicals like cyanide, infamous for their environmental dangers and health risks.
Now, researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland and Flinders University in Australia are pioneering innovative extraction methods that sidestep these harmful substances. ETH Zurich’s team developed a method using a sulfur polymer that selectively binds dissolved gold from electronic scrap. When treated correctly, this polymer releases ultra-pure gold while remaining reusable, creating a sustainable cycle.
Meanwhile, Australian scientists replaced cyanide with trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA), a common water disinfectant. This leap forward presents a safer and cost-effective alternative, reducing chemical hazards without sacrificing efficiency. Such progress means gold recovery from e-waste can happen without polluting ecosystems, a critical advantage given the world’s increasing emphasis on environmental responsibility.
Transforming gold mining and recycling forever
Traditional gold mining is notorious for environmental devastation: deforestation, toxic water contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions. The World Bank estimates that over 20 million people are affected globally by mining’s environmental fallout. Additionally, workers often face exposure to hazardous chemicals like mercury and cyanide.
Recovering gold from e-waste changes this narrative. It supports a closed-loop economy, a framework where precious metals continuously circulate rather than being mined anew. This can substantially reduce mining’s ecological footprint and pressure on natural resources. Experts believe this shift is vital for sustainable development, especially as demand for electronic devices and precious metals continues to surge.
On a personal level, many consumers, including myself, have started to view their old electronics as valuable assets rather than junk. Collecting e-waste for recycling not only reduces landfill waste but taps into a precious resource pool most people overlook. This move toward responsible e-waste management reflects a broader trend toward awareness and sustainability.
Economic opportunities and new job markets
The rise of eco-friendly, efficient gold recovery opens exciting economic prospects. The concept of urban mining — extracting metals from electronic waste collected in cities — is gaining traction as an environmentally and financially sound strategy. Urban mining can transform landfills and electronic waste centers into lucrative resource hubs.
This burgeoning industry will likely create safer jobs in recycling centers focused on non-toxic extraction techniques. Governments and corporations stand to save billions in environmental remediation and health costs long associated with traditional mining approaches. As gold prices hit historic highs, large-scale investment in clean mining technologies becomes increasingly attractive.
“Advances in green mining and recycling technologies are key to sustainable economic growth and environmental stewardship,” said Dr. Lisa Nguyen, an environmental economist at Stanford University. “Urban mining, especially for valuable metals like gold, could reshape global supply chains.”
Challenges and what lies ahead for sustainable gold recovery
Scaling these groundbreaking methods to handle the vast amounts of global e-waste will require robust infrastructure development and international cooperation. Governments, industries, and individuals must collaborate to establish efficient collection systems and recycling facilities capable of processing this waste responsibly.
Despite these challenges, the potential rewards are vast. Turning ordinary waste into valuable gold not only offers a financial incentive but also presents a unique environmental solution. Imagine the untapped vaults of precious metals hidden in your household drawers and closets. What if every discarded gadget contributed to healing the planet rather than polluting it?
Have you ever explored your old electronics to see what treasures might lie within? How do you feel about the future of sustainable mining and recycling technologies? Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions below—we’d love to hear from you.
Where and how can home electronics be recycled for their gold in practical ways. The headline led me to believe there would be small-scale solutions I could act upon other than large-scale recycling in asian sweatshops.
I have the same question. I like taking stuff apart but how do I get the gold out and who do I sell it to without getting ripped off?
I got the same question. How do l get the gold out and who do l sell it to extra.extra
In Worcester Massachusetts there is a company with a proprietary process to remove gold in electrics called northeast precious metals
From what I’ve read, in a best case scenario, theory says you can pull 2-4 grams of gold from a kilo of ram sticks. At 31 g per Troy Oz, you only need 30 kilos of ram sticks to recover an ounce of gold. Sounds great if you have a flawless recovery process. How much do the chemicals cost? How much time and labor? And where do you find 75 pounds of ram sticks?
Your article was very important because I don’t like to throw away things. I do have a lot of electronics that I would like to do something with them, but I feel like when you give them away they give you nothing for him. Could you make any suggestions how to collect or get some money for all these electronics and electrical things that I have because I used to work in electronic many years ago when I was a young woman, please let me know. I am very curious and I’m very intrigued how to collect this gold and not throw it away to the duck because I just feel that the Landfield is just getting ridiculous. Thank you so very much Francesca Mathis.
It rs called get some small tools and take apart the old electronics … it’s called micro scrapping … it takes ALOT of gold components saved up to make any money… and I mean ALOT . I’m not talking about “o I have like 10 old computer towers saved up” I’m talking you must have like a 30-50 gallon trash can full of 100% gold components you’ve taken out of electronics to recycle down to get a ounce or two … and to save up a 30-50 gallon trash can of NOTHING But gold components when out of say a computer tower you get maybe 1-3 components not even 1 inch big … it will take the average person a decade or longer…
I have access from my job to fire alarm panels , communication panels and so many different electronic life safety devices and I collect every single one from several of my employees that throw it away and been saving for 6-7 months and I MIGHT have half a gallon freezer bag full of gold components
How and what type of chemicals to dissolve gold from electronics that won’t hurt me and hazardous. I have an ashtma and no experience of this kind of mining.
I have a bunch of these items myself. I’ve thought about taking them apart myself. I can really use the money. Who doesn’t? Can I learn to do this at home?
Did you get a reply Debby? How do we do this at home
Yes you can
sustainability, comes down to not how much $$ you have or control. It’s all about are you a part of the solution or part of the problem. Iam not an environmentalist,retired, but do have a lot of hands on experience fixing the problem. Highly Taledent people created but allowed $$ to drive the agenda, but only won when they stop allowing $$ to drive the agenda or ended up like Nortel, were innovator created a community collaboration to open all the doors lacked the vision to open.
You should look into some type of editing software or something. Maybe a friend with a high-school level of reading comprehension. Anything. It’s a little embarrassing is all.
Informative very…
Hey Melissa, I’ve read about sustainable gold recovery before, including reference to the processes you mention. However, where can one tap into these gold recovery processes? I’ve been saving as many circuit boards and old phones, PC etc but the sooner I can start gold recovery the better. Who do I contact?
Northeast precious metals in Worcester Massachusetts
It seems that perhaps we need an intermediate honest company who can do the extraction process and then give a percentage of the gains to the consumer who provided the electronic? I am sure there are companies out there. However we need a different approach as the value of the device given its value is based on its obsolescence and not its value in gold. (Literally) in this case. There needs to be some type of general Gold Value in certain electronics in order to make any significant change in the Recycle Business to provide benefits to the donor and the processors. To make it a win win situation. This seems much more reasonable than consumers “Mining” for themselves. Any suggestions ?
It seems all these posts are about how much money I can get and how do I , me, me , me now. Open your eyes
Well, you sure sound like you have the answers. So what are they? You tell people to “open their eyes,” which makes it seem as though you believe your own “eyes are open.” So what, exactly, is it that they are missing, of which you are so keenly aware?
Or are you, perhaps, just criticizing those people in an attempt to feel self-important and elevate yourself above them?
I found the triclor acid to clean pools…now how is the process?
I have 38 old celulars
Sal calm down with the acid ,if you don’t do things right you could poison everything around you including yourself pls research extensively before mixing chemicals to make a.chemical reaction that’s not wanted.
Yes! Who do we contact? I’d love to see if I can sell the gold in my old electronics.
Whom do I contact for this electronic gold mining
I am going to start saving for the Electronic Goldmine.
Ready the comments is not helping me come up with a solution show me the money and the work will be done.
Why do you give all these feed back from people but tell how to do it??? Save the earth fine but get to the point .
Can these extraction chemicals be purchased by individuals.
Maybe recyclers could pay a standard fee to the source or person putting them into the recycling phase.
As a home hobbist I have experimented with gold recovery from ewaist with minimal secess. But the process requires mixing dangerous acids inceneration of some components then crushing and milling before chemical processing. Then there is the issue of dusposal of the waist after processing and dealing with the remaining pfas and heavy metals after gold recovery.
The average household will not have enough gold bearing ewaist to recover even a quarter Oz of gold and is cost prohibitive .
Give electronics to me, I extract the good and sell it. I will spend the money wisely. Thank you, 🙏 you are so so smart and generous. Many blessings to you and your family.
Oh, you will “spend the money wisely?” Well ok then, and what is your address, good, honest, trustworthy internet stranger?
You are so honest and forthcoming on a random internet article that you must truly be an honest and forthcoming person, of course. Strangers and people on the internet never lie, especially when they are being nice and certainly not when it’s about money, oh no, never think it.
That is good to know. I heard Satellite Dishes have Gold in them also.
Listen folks. There are numerous websites that show you step by step how to extract the gold from your electronic devices. Google it. You will find that the process can be meticulous.
But that requires them to do nominal amounts of work and to actually seek the information, rather than just let it come to them, as all their information does! How can you even stand to suggest such a thing to these good people?! I am aghast at your callousness, sir. Shame.
Can the extraction chemicals be purchased by individuals, Or what solutions do we do next.
Whom do I contact for the electronic gold mining ,or can these extraction chemicals be purchased by individuals.
I’m very interested in this concept, if you could please send me as much information as you have currently! Please help me with this thing
It certainly is a problem. A 2022 study revealed that globally some 62million tons , yes tons of e waste was generated with a little less than 13 % recycled. We have started a ewaste recycling center in southern Oregon to try and tackle a tiny fraction of that. A portion of the revenue we generate will go to disabled vets group as our way to give back. We’ve invested 100’s and 100’s of thousands and haven’t even got close to recycling yet with 100’s of thousands more to go. For the individual there really isn’t a way to get the yellow stuff as it takes large expensive equipment, a chemist, and thousands of old computers to amount to anything. I see home hobbiest fooling with dangerous chemicals and pray they don’t poison themselves. We will have monthly collection drives to drop old electronics off in the future.
That would be nice.
Hi from SA people have already doing this for years, but yes someone was telling me all needed to distract it apart. Where do we get the equipment to do so.
I also want to do it individualy, because the e-wast companies ripping us of.
Where and who do we sell to?
Ursula
The mining and extraction methods for Gold, other precious metals & rare earth minerals are not for the DIYs. Majority of mining wastes in developing nations & chemicals, metals used are very toxic. Deadly. Only an intermediate Co. to buy Electronics & then sells to extracting CO’s would work. Imagine if DIYs poured toxic byproducts down the drain where 1000s or Millions of ppl get their H2O? Is a few $ worth it? Imagine DIYs dumping the waste in the ground near drinking wells, watershed environments. Is everything about the Almighty $. Needs to be strictly regulated & for good reason. Common sense will prevail.
There’s less than 3 dollars worth of gold in the average smartphone, according to a quick Google search. Only a few milligrams worth. Not really worth the hours of work it would take to extract it, unless you could do large quantities at a time.