Summary
Royal Mint gold recovery technology developed with Excir allows the UK to extract 99% pure gold from electronic waste at room temperature. This clean process supports sustainability, creates jobs, and strengthens the circular economy.
From Circuit Boards to Bullion
The Royal Mint gold recovery project is reshaping how gold is sourced.
It’s no longer only mined—it’s also reclaimed from electronic waste.
The Royal Mint, together with Excir, has developed a new process that extracts gold from discarded circuit boards.
Unlike traditional smelting, this method works at room temperature and produces almost no emissions.
Therefore, it saves energy and reduces pollution.
Meanwhile, if you’re curious about responsible sourcing, you can also read How Ethical Gold Impacts Global Jewellery Markets.
Why E-Waste Matters
Every year, the world produces over 50 million tonnes of e-waste.
That equals 350 cruise ships the size of Queen Mary 2.
By 2030, production could reach 74 million tonnes.
However, only about 20% is recycled.
Because of that, precious metals worth US $57 billion are lost.
Most of the waste still goes abroad for smelting, which increases emissions and shipping costs.
Now, thanks to this UK-based innovation, valuable metals can be recovered at room temperature in South Wales.
As a result, less waste leaves the country, and more gold stays in circulation.
For related insights, see The Future of Recycled Gold Jewellery.
How the Royal Mint Gold Recovery Works
The process is both clean and fast.
- Excir’s chemistry extracts over 99% of gold from circuit boards within seconds.
- It operates at room temperature, so energy use drops sharply.
- The Royal Mint already produces 999.9-purity gold from this recovered material.
Moreover, because the chemistry targets only precious metals, it generates minimal waste.
In addition, future stages will also recover silver, copper, and palladium.
If you’d like to know how refining ensures purity, visit Understanding Refining: From Ore to Fine Gold.
A Sustainable Shift for the UK
This project builds technical expertise and local jobs.
At the same time, it reduces the nation’s dependence on overseas refineries.
Therefore, the UK keeps more value from its own electronic waste.
For gold buyers, this means cleaner, traceable sources and better transparency.
Although still expanding, the Royal Mint’s facility already shows how innovation and sustainability can work together.
You can explore more details on the Royal Mint’s official website.
FAQ
Q: What makes the Royal Mint gold recovery unique?
A: It extracts gold at room temperature instead of using furnaces, so emissions remain low.
Q: How pure is the gold?
A: The process delivers 999.9 purity, equivalent to investment-grade bullion.
Q: Does it recover other metals?
A: Yes, the system also targets silver, copper, and palladium.
Q: How does this benefit the UK?
A: It promotes sustainability, creates new jobs, and reduces exports of e-waste.
Q: Why should it matter to you?
A: Because your next piece of jewellery could come from recycled electronics instead of mined ore.
