‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’
These words perfectly describe the story of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals. What started as e-waste are now revered treasures. The gold, silver and bronze used for all the 5000 medals were recovered from 80 tonnes of discarded mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, etc. Simply put, there are precious metals to be found in electronic products.
Shocking as it may be, but most of these precious metals end up in landfills trapped under mountains of e-waste. It should not be the end of lifecycle for these valuable materials, as they can be recycled. This is where urban mining plays its role. Unlike the classic mining, urban mining recovers raw materials from waste. These raw materials are essentially recycled, extending the lifecycle.
This recycling concept is not new in the jewellery industry, its momentum ever increasing as more people embrace sustainable living. These three jewellery brands have their own stories on transforming trash to treasure, their journey on sustainable jewellery.
A slight edge of rusticity. A touch of antiquity. Not extravagant, but loud in its own ways. Those are the charms of Lylie’s jewellery. Aside from sourcing from e-waste and dental waste, they also offer ‘Gold Exchange’. As the name suggests, you exchange gold with gold. Essentially, it’s to trade-in your ‘unwanted’ gold jewellery for new jewellery from Lylie’s.
If minimalist jewellery is your cup of tea, then Auterra’s your pick. They run some workshops too, if you are interested in making your own jewellery.
Bayou With Love have partnered with Dell for their supply of recycled gold. Dell’s recycling programs will accept most electronic devices of any brand, any conditions.
So, the next time you mindlessly toss away your electronics, know that you are tossing away gold!