Urban mining is the process of reclaiming precious and minor metals from old electronic equipment. With the soaring price of metals, this way of recycling previously mined metals is lucrative. It is an efficient way to generate dollars:

“…A tonne of ore from a gold mine produces just 5 grams (0.18 ounce) of gold on average, whereas a tonne of discarded mobile phones can yield 150 grams (5.3 ounce) or more, according to a study by Yokohama Metal Co Ltd, another recycling firm.

The same volume of discarded mobile phones also contains around 100 kg (220 lb) of copper and 3 kg (6.6 lb) of silver, among other metals.”

link: Urban miners look for precious metals in cell phones

So that old electronic equipment in storage in the basement or attic may be recycled for the metal content. And with the difficulties in the economy, expect to see more and more entrepreneurs beginning facilities to mine our electronic junk.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster: http://flyinghamster.com/

Tags: urban mining, metals, recycling, electronic equipment, entrepreneurs