South Wales facility will reprocess printed circuit boards.
A new factory that provides a more sustainable source of gold and reduces reliance on mining has been unveiled by The Royal Mint.
Located in South Wales, the 3,700 square metre facility will use patented technology from Canadian clean tech company Excir to recycle gold and other precious metals from electronic waste. The technology, which works in room temperature conditions, extracts gold from printed circuit boards (PCBs) found in household items such as TVs, laptops, and mobile phones.
The Royal Mint reports that the factory, which has been under construction since March 2022, will have the capacity to process up to 4,000 tonnes of PCBs annually. This method will offer The Royal Mint a sustainable alternative to mined gold, while reportedly maintaining the quality of the metal.
According to the World Gold Council, recycled gold is approximately 10,000 times less greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive than mined gold.
Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer at The Royal Mint, said: “The factory underpins our commitment to using sustainable precious metals and providing a new source of high quality, recovered gold. It allows us to reduce our reliance on mined materials and is another example of how we’re working to decarbonise our operations.
“Our commitment to growth, innovation and circular economy principles shapes an exciting and more sustainable future for The Royal Mint, our people and our communities.”
The requirements for recycled gold are currently under review by the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO). It aims to standardise the definition of recycled gold in order to provide clarity for industry professionals, consumers, and other stakeholders. The lack of current standard definition and guidelines has led to misleading information and exploitation for marketing purposes.
Anne Jessopp, Chief Executive at The Royal Mint, added: “The Royal Mint is transforming for the future, and the opening of our Precious Metals Recovery factory marks a pivotal step in our journey.”
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