Landfills Contain Precious Metal Deposits 40-50 Times Richer than Mines

Not only is the quantity of waste vast, but also the value in terms of precious metals and plastics, which could be recovered and recycled. According to experts at the first ever Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) urban land fill sites now amount to actual treasure troves, full of precious metal deposits which can be 40-50 times richer than actual metal ores being produced from mines.

Despite the fact that world gold production increased 15% between 2001 and 2011, from 3,900 tonnes to 4,500 tonnes; the percentage of that supply being used in electronic devices also increased from 5.3% to 7.7%. Each year 320 tonnes of gold and more than 7,500 tonnes of silver are used in the manufacturing of iPads, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, notebook, PC’s, smartphones, and more, and recovering this metal when the device is discarded could be worth $21 billion a year.

http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Landfills-Contain-Prec... [1]

complete story