The next time a device in your home stops working, think twice before throwing it away. Believe it or not, that old electronic device you have in a drawer in your home could be worth much more than you imagine. Swiss researchers have discovered an innovative method for recovering 22-carat gold that is present in electronic components that we tend to throw away without thinking twice. A revolution for recycling and the environment.
Many people don’t know it, but several of the devices we use every day — such as cell phones, computers or tablets — contain minimal but valuable amounts of gold.
And what do we do when they stop working? We usually throw them away. But this could change thanks to a new sustainable recycling system.
A promising and innovative method for an electronic device
The discovery was made by a group of scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. They managed to design a technique that, as well as being effective, is much more friendly to the planet than conventional processes.
“With just 20 motherboards, you can obtain up to 450 milligrams of gold,” the researchers explained, according to the TechGuru website.
And how do they do it? They use protein sponges made from whey fibrils, a by-product left over from the cheese industry.
These sponges capture the gold ions present in the solutions generated when the electronic components are dissolved.
Then, through a heat treatment, that gold is converted into small 22-carat nuggets.
This process is not only innovative, but also represents an enormous advance in terms of the environment. Until now, the techniques for extracting gold from electronic waste used to involve toxic products such as cyanide or mercury, which contaminate the soil, water and air. With this new method, that is completely avoided.
The scale of the problem is enormous. According to global data, the world generates around 50 million tons of electronic waste per year.
And what’s worse: 80% is not recycled. This not only represents a loss of resources, but also a source of constant pollution.
Good news for the planet
But the best thing is that this is not limited to gold. Other valuable metals such as copper, palladium or nickel are also present in the devices we use.
By combining this Swiss system with other techniques such as pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy, it would be possible to recover even more materials and significantly reduce the environmental impact.
“This innovation could transform the recycling sector and create new economic and ecological opportunities,” the Zurich researchers point out.
The key is to think in terms of a circular economy, where what is garbage today can become raw material tomorrow.
