According to Webster’s dictionary the definition of recycling is deemed as one of the following:
• To put or pass through a cycle again, as for additional processing or treatment
• To begin a separate cycle in
• To recover useful materials from garbage and/or waste
• To extract and reuse (useful substances) recovered from waste
• To use again, especially to reprocess so as to use again
Recycling is becoming more of a common practice within society. Whether we recycle plastic, glass, paper, silver, or gold we are doing the earth a favor and are actually helping the global economy.
In this article, the recycling of gold specifically will be discussed. Gold comes in many forms including jewelry and coins. We’ve all seen the commercials on television asking people to send in their gold and we will pay you top dollar for it. Many people do sell their gold and get paid because many people need the extra cash. But do we ever stop to think how the gold is melted down and what happens to the melted gold? More than likely we don’t, but the process is very interesting.
The first step in recycling scrap gold or any other type of gold is weighing and sorting. This step is crucial especially when recycling the gold that is found within a computer. Any scrap that contains gold is placed on a scale and weighed. After the scrap is weighed, it is then taken apart and each individual part is sorted into categories. Common categories include hazardous materials and environmentally harmful substances such as those that may contain mercury.
The second phase in recycling gold is melting the gold. Once everything is taken apart and the parts that can be recycled are determined, a process known as smelting takes place. Smelting is the process of melting gold by using a very high and controlled heat. The smelting process turns the gold into a liquid as it is heated beyond its melting point. Many times gold is melted with other scrap metals in order to save time and energy. However, the gold must be separated from other metals and materials. Once everything is melted into a liquid form, the metal has unique properties and densities which enables it to be separated.
The third step in recycling scrap gold is to reform the gold and other materials that were separated from the gold as needed. Many times the refined metals are shaped into various sizes and weights. This allows the gold and other metals to be re-used. Many times gold that has been recycled is used in jewelry and electronics.
Many objects that we use and wear on a daily basis contain gold and other recyclable components. Many non-working and outdated electronic devices contain gold and other recyclable components. The most common electronic items that contain scrap gold include: Central Processing Units, electronic boards, pins, printed circuit boards, cell phone boards, and integrated circuits. Computers may also contain copper, lead, palladium, and silver and are a good example of a product that can and should be recycled.
When retrieving the gold from the computer it is important to open up the computer in order reveal all of the circuit boards and electronic components. Once inside, the mother board and the memory chips are the objects that contain the most gold; however, the other parts should also be removed and separated. Even though they are not gold, the copper, lead, palladium, and silver that are found within the computer are also recyclable.
Computers contain a very small amount of gold. It takes eighty computers to yield one gram of gold. The main board of a cell phone and/or a blue tooth mainly contains copper, but also contains a small amount of gold, palladium, and silver which are recyclable. Other objects that contain gold are computer monitors, amplifiers, Digital Video Disc players, printers, speakers, cable boxes, satellite boxes, MP3 players, and cameras.
Another form of gold that can be used for scrap is contained in jewelry. Gold jewelry can be a variety of things such as: rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, charms, etc. Although many of us treasure our jewelry with time it eventually breaks, gets damaged or goes out of style. These types of jewelry fit perfectly into the category of scrap gold. One popular option for recycling gold jewelry is taking it to a local pawn shop. Pawn shops take in a variety of merchandise and will exchange the merchandise, including scrap gold, for money. Many jewelry retailers will also accept scrap gold. Jewelers will evaluate the gold and determine whether or not they can use the gold. If they can use the gold they will offer a price for it.
A third option for recycling scrap gold is to send the scrap gold to gold buying services such as Cash for Gold for a GoldPak. These services mail a special pre-postage envelope to you, allowing one to fit as much gold as they can into the envelope and send it back to the gold buying service. Once they receive the package, they will evaluate the components of the package and send the seller an invoice as to what they believe is a reasonable price for the gold.
Recycling scrap gold is an easy way to make some fast cash, but remember to research in order to get the best price for your scrap gold. Not only does recycling gold provide the consumer with needed cash, it also helps the environment and the global economy as gold is a precious resource that cannot be reproduced in its purest form by mankind.