Three old smartphones forgotten at the bottom of a drawer contain more gold per pound than the output of any active gold mine. While the best gold mines yield about 5 grams of gold per ton of ore, the gold in electronic components is far more concentrated—around 200 grams per ton. This is because gold in phones is not scattered throughout the device; it is localized in specific areas, such as the connectors, pins, and wires, where it is used for its excellent conductivity and resistance to oxidation. These properties make gold ideal for ensuring reliable electrical connections in electronics. Each discarded smartphone contains only a small amount of gold—roughly 0.034 grams—when considered individually. However, when multiplied by the hundreds of millions of devices sold worldwide, the total amount of precious metals becomes significant. A ton of mobile phones contains about 3,680 grams of gold, along with substantial amounts of silver, palladium, and copper. These metals are highly valuable on the recycling market, with electronic waste worth up to 50,000 euros per ton, depending on the concentration of metals. In contrast, gold mining involves extracting a tiny fraction of gold from vast amounts of ore. To obtain the same amount of gold found in electronic waste, a mine would need to process about 800,000 tons of ore—resulting in far greater environmental impact. The key difference lies in the concentration of metals in electronic devices, which makes their recycling more efficient and less environmentally damaging than traditional mining. Despite the potential value of electronic waste, much of it remains uncollected. In France, a study found that 46.4 million phones are stored in households, with many never entering recycling channels. Globally, 62 million tons of electronic waste were generated in 2022, but only 22.3% was properly recycled. The metals in this waste are estimated to be worth around 91 billion dollars, including 15 billion dollars in gold. However, much of the collected waste still ends up in unregulated channels, often sent abroad. The industrial process of recycling involves dismantling devices, crushing and melting electronic components, and using chemical refining to recover precious metals—processes that are complex and dangerous, and not feasible at home.