News

What began with the green dot is part of everyday life for most citizens: waste paper and glass go in the recycling bin, drying racks and old metal shelves are taken to the recycling center to be recycled. However, recycling is not only useful and important for these items, but especially for old mobile phones, electronic devices and, for example, tooth fillings in which valuable precious metals are processed. Because the recovery has become indispensable for the sustainable use of precious metals, both against the background of increasing demand and due to ecological responsibility.

Since the precious metals are usually used in conjunction with other materials, metals or as alloy components, a sometimes highly complex processing and separation process is required to recover them. Due to the uniqueness of the material, a comprehensive material cycle is possible with precious metal recycling: Using precious metal, a product is manufactured, used, collected again and melted down, a new product is created. And with the use of modern processes, almost nothing is lost. More than 90 percent of the more than 200,000 tons of gold that have been mined to date are still in circulation. At the same time, the concentration of precious metals in many products is significantly higher than in primary extraction. Recycling thus conserves natural resources and requires less energy. The German and European precious metals industry makes a significant contribution to securing the raw material requirements of modern society through environmentally friendly and efficient recycling.

In order for the precious metals used to be available again, recyclable materials must be collected as completely as possible at the end of the product’s life. However, only about a third of old electrical equipment currently makes it to these high-tech recycling plants. This is largely because end-of-life products are not collected, illegally exported, or sent to poor-quality facilities along the recycling chain. In addition to the implementation of demanding collection quotas, it is also important to ensure high-quality recycling and to facilitate and accelerate cross-border transport to certified European quality recycling plants.