A new method extracts gold from electronics waste, then uses the recovered precious metal as a catalyst for converting carbon dioxide to organic materials. Without using hazardous chemicals, it could provide sustainable use for some of the approximately 50 million tons of e-waste discarded each year–only 20% recycled. A ton of e-waste contains at least 10 times more gold than a ton of the ore from which gold is extracted. With an anticipated 80 million metric tons of e-waste by 2030, it’s increasingly important to find ways to recover that precious metal.
news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/01/e-waste-gold-pathway-co2-sustainability