Sources of Genuine Platinum that Are Not Worth Recycling

There is an old saying, “All that glitters is not gold.”

A similar thing could be said about platinum, which is “Not everything that contains platinum is worth recycling.” How can that be? It is true because even though platinum is worth a lot of money, not every kind of scrap that contains it is worth recycling. Why spend $100.00 to extract $5.00 worth of platinum, for example? It wouldn’t make any sense.

Here is a list of materials that contain platinum that you can cross off your list of platinum scrap you should be collecting.

Platinum Razor Blades

A few years ago, a number of companies that make razors moved aggressively into making razor blades and shaving cartridges that had blades that were coated with platinum. The reason was that platinum glides across the skin with very little friction.

Today, virtually all the platinum-coated razor blades that are being made are of the old safety razor style – double-edged blades that are used in old-fashioned safety razors. But even they contain such a small quantity of platinum that they are not worth sending to us to be processed. So if you see a pile of new, unused platinum-plated blades, you can pass them by.

Cosmetics that Contain Platinum

Platinum can be found in a number of skin creams. The idea seems to be that because platinum is very expensive and rare, its presence in skincare products makes them very, very good. You can also find platinum in cosmetics that are used as chemical peels that remove the outer layer of skin.

Although these substances contain real platinum, there is not enough of the precious metal to be worth recycling.

Platinum Gelatin Sheets and Powders

High-end cooks and pastry chefs add gelatin powders and dissolvable gelatin sheets to the foods they make. You might find these substances – called platinum gelatin sheets or powder – for sale on eBay or maybe even in restaurants that have gone out of business.

Unfortunately, these substances do not contain platinum. They use its name only to imply that they are of very high quality. So again, you can overlook them when you go hunting for recyclable platinum.

So What Kinds of Platinum Scrap Should You Be Looking For?

We have written about them before on this blog. The platinum items that are worth recycling include thermocouples, platinum laboratory crucibles and other equipment, some sputtering targets, not to mention platinum rings and other items of jewelry.

Want to know more about items that can make you the most money? Give our precious metals consultants a call at 800-426-2344. We can steer you in the right direction – and to profits – in just a single call.