UK to get first commercial refinery to extract precious metals from e-waste without cyanide

The world’s first refinery for extracting precious metals from e-waste that uses bacteria, rather than cyanide based processes will be built in Cheshire, the UK. A New Zealand start-up, Mint Innovation, plans to open the facility within 12 months. 

The UK has already been criticised to produce more e-waste than the EU average and is one of the worst offenders in exporting e-waste to developing countries.