The UK’s coinmaker has constructed a factory in South Wales that will handle up to 4,000 tonnes of printed circuit boards from e-waste annually.
Royal Mint CEO Anne Jessopp stated that the company is “transforming for the future” and that the opening of its Precious Metals Recovery plant “marks a pivotal step in our journey”.
In addition to recycling the circuit boards it receives, the Royal Mint is working to receive the entire item – laptops, mobile phones, and server equipment – so it can participate in the entire process.
It comes as a recent UN research states e-waste is growing five times faster than e-waste recycling, with an 82% increase from 2010 to a record 62 million tons in 2022.
According to Mark Loveridge, business unit director of Precious Metals Recovery, the UK ranks among the worst offenders per capita.
Mr Loveridge described the production procedures, which aim to eliminate mining, as a “world first”.
He stated that the UK’s e-waste is “about 25 kilos per person,” or the equivalent of a 50-inch television.
