Junkyard Gems

Finding value in toxic waste

No, this ain't about Barn Find Hunter Tom Cotter's book or life. The secret here is the technology used by UK Royal Mint.

There is a reason why most mobile phone and laptop sellers are willing to accept your old device in exchange for a small discount for purchasing a new device. They need the rare elements in digital devices and its not just about chip-shortage anymore.

Have you ever been in a situation that no one wants your old device even if you are giving it away for free? Well, if yes, have you cracked open your defunct device to tinker with it like a tot?

I got old useless devices I can't ever get rid of except the dustbin. An Android tablet, a flat-screen non-smart TV, a Windows laptop, defunct expensive mobile phone, Google VR, portable air-purifier, Bluetooth speaker, etc.--- and these are only the electronic stuff, excluding all the other junk I need to fill a landfill with!

However, things might look upwards if this news catches on globally. Wanna make money, not fool's gold? Banks may have got your gold! Disclaimer: don't try this at home.

Would you put on your old iPods and start mining in your local landfill? Playlist? I just added “Digging in the dirt” by Peter Gabriel and "Dirt Rich" by Brothers Osborne.

The gold jewellery made from old phones

E-waste is mounting. Now the UK Royal Mint has found a new way to extract the precious metals hidden in laptops and phones to reduce our reliance on raw materials.

The Royal Mint has licensed chemical technology to extract gold from circuit boards found inside discarded laptops and old mobile phones.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230904-how-the-royal-mint-is-turning-electronic-waste-into-gold