Did You Know Your Computer Contains Precious Metals?

While precious metals are not often known, there are many valuable metals found in your scrap. You can reuse, recycle, resell, or salvage used electronic devices. You are not only protecting your data but also making money frDid You Know Your Computer Contains Precious Metals?

om the precious metals in your electronics.

It is important to recycle electronics because there is a low number of people or companies that recycle them. Two billion smartphone owners upgrade to new phones approximately every 11 months. Only 10% of these phones are recycled. These phones can be thrown away in a drawer, or in a landfill.

Reusing e-waste can help to recycle precious metals, reducing the need for new mining and processing. This ultimately leads to a negative impact on the environment. These electronic devices contain precious metals such as:

Gold:

This metal is used in printed circuit boards and cell phones. It also makes up computer chips (CPU), connectors, and fingers.

Silver:

SIlver can be found in printed circuit boards and cell phones.

Platinum:

This is the metal used in circuit boards and hard drives.

Palladium:

This metal is used in mobile phones, hard drives and circuit board components, as well as capacitors.

Copper:

Copper is used for heatsinks, wire cables, computer chips, cell phones, printed circuit boards, and other electronic devices.

Nickel:

Nickel is used to make circuit board components.

Tantalum:

Tantalum can be used to make circuit boards and in some capacitors.

Cobalt:

Cobalt can be included in hard drives.

Aluminum:

Aluminum can be used in computer chips, printed circuit boards, hard drives, heat sinks, and computer chips.

Tin:

Tin is used to make computer chips and printed circuit boards.

Zinc:

Zinc can be used in printed circuit boards.

Neodymium:

This is used for hard drives.

Electronic devices can contain significant amounts of precious metals. According to the EPA, for every 1 million cell phones that are recycled, you can obtain these amounts of precious metals.

• Copper 35,274 lbs
• 772 pounds silver
• 75 pounds of gold
• 33 lb palladium

You should look into recycling at Ecycle Florida when looking at electronics. These computer components have the highest weight of precious metals.

1. Computer CPUs (Processors).
2. Memory (RAM) and Circuit Fingers/ Connectors/ pins
3. Circuit Boards (Motherboard).
4. Cables/WIres
5. Hard drives
6. Computers as a Whole
7. Cell phones

This post was written by Steven Elia Co-Founder and Recycling Director at eCycle Florida. eCycle Florida is an R2 Certified electronics recycling company in the state of Florida. Our processes and procedures are dedicated to the proper destruction and recycling of your electronics. eCycle Florida is your go-to for Pinellas County electronics disposal.