2016Yearbook_Flipbook

2016

THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK

Precious Metals

Precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum have long been valued as stores of wealth and for use in producing coinage, jewelry, and decorative arts. Today, precious metals are used in a wide

In addition, Census Bureau data indicate that more than 16,100 mt of precious metal scrap were exported from the U.S. in 2015 valued at nearly $3.9 billion. See below for the recent trend in U.S. secondary production (production from new and old scrap) of gold and silver since 2011 according to the USGS:

range of applications including electronic and communications

U.S. Secondary Production of Silver & Gold, 2011 - 2015 (metric tons)

1,710

1,700

equipment, spacecraft, and jet aircraft engines and can be found in everything from cell phones to catalytic converters. Given the relative scarcity and high per-unit values of precious metals, they continue to be recycled at a high rate of recovery. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 140 tons of new and old gold scrap and 1,200 tons of silver scrap were recycled in the United States in 2015, slightly less than the reported levels in 2014.

1,660

1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800

1,400

1,200

0 200 400 600 800

263

215

210

200

140

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Gold Silver

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INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.