These Recyclable Materials Contain Precious Metals
...Even Though You Think They Don’t
When we answered our phone a few weeks ago, a very nice gentleman told us that he had collected more than 1,000 used printer cartridges that he wanted to recycle. “How can I send them to you to be processed?” he asked. We had to give him the bad news that print cartridges do not contain precious metals. We explained that some of the ink they once contained might have contained tiny quantities of silver, and that some ink cartridges have circuit boards that contain extremely small quantities of gold - but that even in the best of circumstances, he didn’t have enough of any precious metal that we could profitably extract for him. We suggested that he take his cartridges to an office supply store that participates in manufacturers’ recycling programs.
That conversation got us thinking about the fact that although print cartridges do not contain precious metals, recyclable precious metals can be found in places and objects that many people don’t even know about. In today’s post, let’s look at a short list.
Recyclable silver can be found in . . .
- Printing Inks
- Photographic and x-ray negatives and printing papers
- Chemicals that were used to develop photographic and x-ray films
- Dyes that were used to color fabrics
- Tanks, filters, and drains that were used in plating processes
Recyclable gold can be found in . . .
- Old cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices
- Jewelry of all kinds - even objects that are only thinly plated
- Dust and powder that accumulates in and around businesses where jewelry and dental appliances were made
- Tanks, filters, and drains that were used in plating processes
Recyclable platinum can be found in . . .
- Old medical and laboratory testing supplies
- Dust and powder that accumulates in and around businesses where jewelry was made
Call 800-426-2344, because No Question Is Too Unusual for Us to Answer.
We are precious metal recycling experts - among the most experienced in the business, in fact. We are here to provide information. People profit from our expertise, and you could too.
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