Sustainable gold

Responsible gold trend

In the meantime, the precious metals industry is also becoming increasingly aware of sustainability and is concerned about the ecological and social consequences of gold mining and processing.

While various approaches are intended to make gold mining in mines more sustainable, it is primarily the recycling of old gold that makes the precious metal environmentally, socially and climate-friendly.

Problematic primary gold from mines

The majority of the gold in demand worldwide comes from gold mines. Around 3,600 tons of primary gold are extracted from mines worldwide every year. When you consider that an average of 1,000 tons of rock have to be moved to extract 2-3 grams of gold, it quickly becomes clear just how much of an impact the extraction of gold in mines has on the environment.

Most of the gold mined is extracted from the earth by large mining companies, with around 20 percent coming from small-scale mining.

Above all, this primary gold and the mining of the precious metal entail ecological and social problems.

While the large mining companies extract hundreds of thousands of tons of rock every day and the huge mines eat into the landscape, small-scale mines also cause many problems: artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) involves small, mostly informal, sometimes illegal mines that are operated by individuals, small groups or cooperatives. Even though these small-scale mines provide many people in developing countries with an income, environmental pollution, poor working conditions and child labor are often the order of the day.

Green gold: ecologically extracted precious metal

When mining the precious metal, toxic chemicals are used to wash the gold out of the ore. Mercury and cyanide are used in particular. Without the necessary standards, these substances are released into the environment and poison drinking water, soil and food.

However, there are now also ways of effectively extracting gold from gold-bearing rock using non-toxic substances - certain sulphur compounds or types of glucose.

Green or ecological gold is therefore primary gold that is extracted without the use of environmental toxins.

Fair gold: gold mining without exploitation

Initiatives such as Fairmined, Fairtrade Gold or the Association for Fair and Responsible Gold are intended to ensure that certain environmental and social standards are adhered to when mining gold.

Clear rules for this fair gold ensure that the precious metal is extracted without child labor, that the workers are paid fairly and that appropriate safety and environmental standards are observed.

In return, the operators receive premiums and a guarantee that they can sell certain quantities for a minimum price.

Climate-friendly gold thanks to recycling

Gold mining also has an impact on the climate. If you look at the_{CO2 footprint}, there are clear differences depending on the origin of the gold.

At 30 tons of_{CO2 per} kilogram of gold, the extraction of primary gold in mines is climate-intensive. By contrast, extracting 1 kilogram of gold from electronic waste only emits 1 ton of_CO2.

The recycling of old gold(jewelry, dental gold, broken gold...) produces around 50 kilograms of_{CO2 per} kilogram of gold. And according to the German refinery C.HAFNER, only 29 kilograms of_{CO2 are produced per} kilogram of gold.

The Belgian company Umicore, both a recycling company and a refinery, claims to need only 4 tons of old cell phones as raw material for a 1 kg gold bar instead of 200 tons of ore. Silver, platinum and the like can also be recovered in a climate-friendly way.

Nevertheless, the recycling of precious metals from e-waste is still in its infancy. While almost 100% of old gold from jewelry is recycled, only around 45% of electrical appliances in the EU find their way into the recycling loop.

Recycle gold and earn money

When you sell your old gold at Gold & Co, you not only get a good price for your old gold, you also actively contribute to a sustainable circular economy. The precious metal can be recycled as often as you like without any loss of quality.

"From the WWF's point of view, a large part of today's gold mining is unnecessary; much more recycled gold could be used. Gold from old jewelry, dental gold or electronic scrap is a sensible alternative to mining gold; gold from jewelry, for example, can already be easily recycled today."
- WWF Germany

Currently, around 30% of the gold processed each year comes from gold purchases and the recycling of electrical appliances. The recovered precious metal is then processed into new jewelry, used as an industrial material or turned into investment coins and bars.

Buy sustainable gold

If you would like to buy sustainable and fair gold as an investment, we have the right products in our range at Gold & Co.

The German refinery C. HAFNER is considered one of the pioneers in_{CO2 avoidance} and compensation and was the first manufacturer worldwide to establish a_CO2-neutral refining process. C. HAFNER only processes recycled gold.

The Heimerle + Meule refinery in Pforzheim, Germany, does not process primary gold either, but uses 100% recycled gold.

Under the name Auropelli gold bars, the Swiss manufacturer Valcambi produces "Responsible Gold", in which the entire value chain from the gold mine to the finished gold bar is traceable and which meets the strictest environmental, health and safety standards.

Umicore 's precious metal bars can also be described as sustainable, as the recycling and refining company is one of the industry's pioneers when it comes to sustainability.