Recycling Mobile Phones as an Alternative to Gold Mining
Wednesday, August 27, 2014 - 13:20:51
This summer there has been renewed focus on the importance of mobile phone recycling, with EU environment representative Janez Potocnik suggesting that it is much more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly to reclaim gold from old electronics rather than trying to acquire this valuable material directly from ore.
The claim that Potocnik made, which is that 41 mobile phones contain the same amount of gold as an entire ton of ore, does sound like a compelling reason to support recycling efforts. And BBC News went so far as to check that this claim is accurate, with experts providing positive information to further support the cause.
University of Leicester geologist Dave Holwell explained that between one and two grams of gold can typically be extracted per metric tonne of quality ore, which would be in keeping with the claim made by the EU. In fact, upon further investigation it was argued that you only need 35 modern mobiles to get an equivalent amount to match this.
Of course, if you increase the number of phones to match the weight of the ore, then the stark difference becomes more apparent, as tech firm Umicore asserts that a tonne of phones would produce 300 grams of gold once recycled.
Throwing away an old phone means that you are literally throwing gold into the bin, which is why it is worth selling your unwanted handsets online so that they can be recycled. Even if the phone is broken, it is still valuable, and this is why recycling firms are willing to pay people for the privilege of procuring devices, no matter what condition they are in.
The competitive recycling market in the UK means you can shop around and find the best valuation before committing to a deal.
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