US recycles over billion dollars in gold from electronics

The United States led all nations in terms of gold recycled from discarded electronics, according a new study by London-based metals trader The Gold Bullion Company.

Using waste data from 2022 and the Sept. 26 gold price, the trader estimated the U.S. recovered 13,767 kg of gold that year valued at US$1.2 billion now. That’s about 1,110 standard gold bars.

The gold was recycled from a world-leading 4.1 billion kg of electronic rubbish, owing to the nation’s consumerist culture, the trader said. 

In second place was China, which recycled less than half as much gold as its main rival. It got 6,630 kg, valued now at US$568.4 million. In 2022, the world’s top electronics producer recycled 1.9 billion kg of documented e-waste. The Asian giant has been a global e-waste hub since the 1970s.

Germany ranks third in estimated gold value from recycled e-waste, with 3,249 kg of gold worth about US$278.6 million. The country processed 956.6 million kg of waste in 2022, a result of strict European Union policies that require responsible collection and recycling.

France, Japan

Rounding out the top five are two other G7 nations — France and Japan — with 2,924 kg (US$250.7 million) and 2,084 kg (US$178.7 million) respectively.

The country that recycled the least amount of gold in 2022 was Azerbaijan, with just 10,000 kg of e-waste processed. This could be for a range of reasons, such as a limited garbage management infrastructure or the lack of regulations, the trader says.

On a per-capita basis, Norway led the way with 19.42 kg of documented and recycled waste from electronic goods in 2022, which could generate an estimated 0.066 gram of gold per person worth £4.23. The Scandinavian country has a population of 5.5 million. 

For the full list of the world’s top gold recyclers from e-waste, click here.