Urban Mining: The Electronic Waste Gold Mine

Urban Mining

The Electronic Waste Gold Mine



Millions of dollars worth of gold and silver and sitting in landfills around the world. The precious metals are hidden away in the components that make up our outdated laptops, cellphones and other discarded electronics. As the demand for new technology grows, so does the amount of obsolete hardware. With proper recycling techniques, these metals can be recovered and resold for big profits in a process known as "urban mining."



Just How Much Profit?

According to the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, the amount of gold and silver being used in today's electronics worldwide is staggering.



Gold

320tons

$16 B



Silver

7,500tons

$5 B



= $21 billion dollars worth of gold and silver are used to make electronics every year



The Increasing Value of Urban Mining

Precious metals recovered from electronic waste can be up to 50x richer than ores mined from the ground.



Electronic waste can yield between...

300-400

grams of gold / metric ton



Up to 50 million tons of electronic waste are estimated to be scrapped every year worldwide.



Electronic Waste Breakdown, 2010

* in million units



Mobile devices 152

Keyboards & mice 82.2

Computers 51.9

Monitors 35.8

Hard copy devices 33.6

Televisions 28.5

.

Largest Electronic Waste Processing Center

Guiyou, China



1.5 million tons of e-waste are processed each year, generating...

$75 million in revenue URBAN MINING The Electronic Waste Gold Mine 000 Millions of dollars worth of gold and silver are sitting in landfills around the world. The precious metals are hidden away in the components that make up our outdated laptops, cellphones and other discarded electronics. As the demand for new technology grows, so does the amount of obsolete hardware. With proper recycling techniques, these metals can be recovered and resold for big profits in a process known as "urban mining." JUST HOW MUCH PROFIT? According to the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, the amount of gold and silver being used in today's electronics worldwide is staggering. gold silver 320tons $16 B $5 B 7,500tons %2421 billion dollars worth of gold and silver are used to make electronics every year. THE INCREASING VALUE OF URBAN MINING Precious metals recovered from electronic waste can be up to 50x richer than ores mined from the ground. Electronic waste can yield between... 300-400 grams of gold / metric ton 50 million tons Up to of electronic waste are estimated to be scrapped every year worldwide. ELECTRONIC WASTE BREAKDOWN, 2010 in million units MOBILE DEVICES KEYBOARDS & MICE 82.2 COMPUTERS 152 51.9 MONITORS HARD COPY DEVICES TELEVISIONS 35.8 33.6 28.5 LARGEST ELECTRONIC WASTE PROCESSING CENTER GUIYOU, CHINA 1.5 million tons of e-waste are processed each year, generating... $75 million in revenue Sources Global e-Sustainability Initiative National Public Radio United Nations Environment Programme Electronics Takeback Coalition O GOLD & SILVER BUYERS www.goldandsilverbuyers.com (877) 571-3100 0" ПI"