[ECO]Canadian Mint Considers Urban Mining for Future Coins

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The Royal ********* Mint explores urban mining as a sustainable solution for sourcing precious metals.

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may soon make coins from metals extracted from old phones and computers. The mint announced yesterday it’s exploring a partnership with Enim Technologies Inc., a Montreal-based recycling company that specializes in recovering precious metals through urban mining of electronic waste.

This potential collaboration could help address a growing environmental crisis. In 2022, people worldwide threw away 137 billion pounds of electronic devices, but only 22% was properly recycled. The rest ended up in landfills or was incinerated, wasting an estimated $62 billion worth of valuable metals.

Enim Technologies uses an innovative chemical process to extract gold, silver, and copper from discarded circuit boards. Unlike traditional methods, their approach avoids harmful chemicals like cyanide. The company plans to open its first commercial facility in 2027.

“We want to transform electronic waste into eco-responsible products,” said Simon Racicot-Daignault, President and CEO of Enim Technologies. The company aims to create a zero-waste process that handles not just metals but also the plastic and ceramic components found in electronics.

Traditional mining operations often cause significant environmental damage. Open-pit mines can destroy natural habitats, while the chemicals used in extraction can contaminate groundwater and soil. A single gold ring typically requires the removal of 20 tons of rock and soil.

In contrast, urban mining through electronic recycling produces no new land disruption. The process requires 80% less energy than traditional mining and reduces carbon emissions by up to 70%. For every million cell phones recycled, urban mining can recover 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, and 75 pounds of gold.

When you throw away an old phone or laptop, the precious metals inside often go to waste. Circuit boards contain small amounts of valuable materials like gold and silver, which are typically too difficult to extract safely.

Enim Technologies developed a new method called hydrometallurgy to solve this problem. This water-based chemical process separates and purifies metals without creating toxic byproducts. The company can track every step, ensuring the metals meet strict quality standards.

Several countries have already embraced urban mining for currency production. In 2018, Japan used recycled electronics to create medals for the 2020 Olympics, collecting 78,985 tons of electronic devices. South Korea has integrated urban mining into its national resource strategy, recovering $2.8 billion worth of metals from electronic waste in 2020.

The Netherlands began a pilot program in 2019 to use recycled gold in commemorative coins. Their success rate in metal recovery exceeded 95%, proving the commercial viability of urban mining for currency production.

If successful, this partnership could change how people think about electronic waste. Instead of old devices ending up in landfills, their

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into new coins and other products through urban mining.

The Royal ********* Mint produces coins for Canada and many other countries. As one of the world’s largest gold refiners, their interest in urban mining could encourage other manufacturers to consider similar sustainable practices.

Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal ********* Mint, emphasized the importance of environmental responsibility: “Sourcing metals recovered through urban mining presents an exciting opportunity for the Mint to participate in the circular economy.”

Urban mining refers to extracting valuable materials from waste products rather than digging them from the ground. This approach reduces the need for traditional mining, which often causes significant environmental damage.

The concept is gaining importance as governments worldwide introduce stricter regulations on waste management and recycling. Companies face increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and use more sustainable materials.

Electronic waste contains many of the same precious metals needed for manufacturing coins and other products. By recovering these materials, urban mining could help build more resilient supply chains while protecting the environment.

The collaboration between Enim Technologies and the Royal ********* Mint remains in the exploration phase. However, if successful, it could set a new standard for sustainable manufacturing in the precious metals industry.

Both organizations emphasize quality and sustainability in their operations. Their shared values could help overcome the technical challenges of integrating recycled metals into coin production.

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