Swiss researchers found a more sustainable and energy-efficient way to recover gold from old electronics. The researchers also highlight the financial possibilities of their invention.
Swiss researchers found a way to collect gold from old electronics in a more ecological way than before. Adobe Stock / AOP / ETH Zurich
Researchers at the Swiss State Institute of Technology have developed a new method that can be used to recover valuable gold from electronic waste.
The method utilizes the protein fiber fungus that is produced as a by-product of the cheese-making process.
– It is difficult to do this more sustainably, ETH Zurich professor Raffaele Mezzenga states in the university’s press release.
The researchers managed to collect a total of 450 milligrams of 22 carat gold from 20 old computer motherboards. The value of the gold collected from the motherboards was approximately $33. There are about 34 milligrams of gold in a cell phone.
It’s also a commercially interesting success, because Swiss researchers say that the returns are 50 times higher. This means that for every dollar swallowed by the separation process, $50 worth of gold can be collected.
According to the World Health Organization WHO, the amount of electronic waste that is toxic to people and the environment is currently growing faster than all other types of waste.
Since people throw away millions and millions of electronic devices every year, encouraging them to be recycled is important according to the WHO – and money is known to be a good incentive.
Sources: Futurism, ETH Zurich, Advanced Materials