Pulling Gold out of E-Waste Suddenly Becomes Super-Profitable

Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed an innovative and cost-effective method for extracting high-purity gold from electronic waste (e-waste), yielding a return of $50 for every $1 invested in the process. Surprisingly, the breakthrough substance used for gold extraction was discovered in cheesemaking. This new technique not only presents a sustainable approach to recycling e-waste but also demonstrates significant commercial potential. The study outlines that, after accounting for the costs associated with sourcing materials and the energy required for extraction, the cost of recovering 1 gram of gold from e-waste is 50 times less than the market value of the gold obtained. This discovery could revolutionize the way we recycle precious metals from discarded electronics.