Urban mining has shifted from a niche sustainability idea to an essential pillar of modern industry. It involves extracting valuable raw materials—especially precious and rare‑earth metals—from “above‑ground” reservoirs such as discarded electronics, demolition scrap, and out‑of‑date infrastructure. Key drivers of the sector’s rapid expansion Conventional ore mining is losing efficiency as natural deposits become poorer. By contrast, city‑scale waste streams contain far richer concentrations of metals: Gold: One ton of thrown‑away smartphones holds roughly 100 × the gold found in a ton of primary gold ore. Copper & silver: A ton of printed‑circuit boards can contain up to 200 kg of copper and about 0.4 kg of silver. Scale: Global e‑waste generation is expected to top 65 million metric tons in 2026, embodying more than US$62 billion of untapped metal value. The “e‑waste tsunami” and high material density Economic benefits and localized sourcing In 2026,...
Junk Silver: Definition, Who Buys It, and How Its Price Behaves 1. Overview When market participants mention “junk silver,” they are referring to a particular set of United States coins that were struck before the nation eliminated silver from its circulating coinage. The worth of these pieces comes almost entirely from the silver they contain, not from rarity, condition, or collector demand, making them an inexpensive entry point for anyone who wants to hold physical silver. 2. What Qualifies as Junk Silver? Characteristic Description Legal status Still legal tender in the United States (face value remains valid) Production period Minted up to and including 1964 , the year the U.S. switched to copper‑nickel clad coins Metal composition 90 % silver / 10 % copper – the copper alloy provides durability for everyday use Silver content per dollar of face value Approximately 0.715 troy oz of pure silver after normal circulation wear Valuation method Value = Face‑value...