「もう金山ですね」1トンの基板から100グラムの金を回収することも　廃棄された電子機器”都市鉱山”に迫る企業の最前線

Are you familiar with the term "urban mine"? It's a term that likens the reusable metals contained in discarded electronic devices such as computers and photocopiers to a mine. In fact, Japan is said to have one of the world's largest reserves of this "urban mine." We interviewed those on the front lines of recycling, transforming discarded items into valuable resources. A company that disassembles electronic devices "These are discarded office automation equipment." A row of photocopiers. Recycle Tech, located in Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, disassembles electronic devices brought in from all over Kyushu and sells the parts to recycling companies. Increasing demand for "circuit boards"—they yield "gold"! Among the various parts being reused, "circuit boards," which connect electronic components and circuits, are currently experiencing a rapidly increasing demand. Recycle Tech Factory Manager Daisuke Matsuoka "Prices have increased by about 1.5 times compared to a year ago." "At first glance, it doesn't seem that expensive," says RKB reporter Yasushi Wakamatsu. "These circuit boards were taken from disassembled computers and printers. Surprisingly, precious metals such as gold can be extracted from these circuit boards." Over 100 grams of gold recovered from 1 ton of circuit boards. Astec Irie, headquartered in Kitakyushu City, possesses unique technology for recovering metals from circuit boards. These metals are found in familiar electronic devices, often referred to as "urban mines." According to estimates by the Sustainability Technology Design Organization, it is estimated that Japan's urban mines hold gold equivalent to 10% of the world's total reserves. Masakazu Koshinishi, Group Leader, FM Business Division, Astec Irie "Depending on the circuit board, we can extract over 100 grams (of gold) from processing one ton. That's practically a gold mine." Development of a Method for High-Concentration Metal Extraction Besides circuit boards, copper and "rare metals" essential for high-tech industries, which are scarce globally, can also be recovered. Astec Irie has developed its own unique technology to efficiently extract metals at high concentrations. Unlike conventional methods that crush the entire circuit board, this method uses high-temperature steam to melt the adhesive parts, extracting only the electronic components that contain a high concentration of metal. Sorting with AI Technology Yasushi Wakamatsu, RKB Reporter "Previously, these components, so small they fit in the palm of your hand, were sorted manually, but now we're using AI for sorting." A cutting-edge AI system memorizes the "color and shape" of approximately 20 types of minute electronic components. It instantly identifies and sorts them automatically from camera images. Previously, five people could sort about 10 kilograms per hour, but with automation, that number has increased to 20 to 30 kilograms. Masakazu Koshinishi, Group Leader, FM Division, Astec Irie: "We can extract the most gold from IC chips. There's a rare metal called tantalum, which can be recovered from these tantalum capacitors. These ceramic capacitors contain palladium, and chip resistors contain ruthenium; both of these are also rare metals." "Shining Gold" Emerging from the Liquid While sorted parts are sometimes shipped directly, parts containing a high amount of gold go through another process. They are immersed in "iron chloride solution," which dissolves other metals to extract high-purity gold. Then—shining gold emerges from the liquid. The recovered gold is sold to refining companies for reuse. Masakazu Koshinishi, Group Leader, FM Business Division, Astec Irie "Japan is said to be a country that doesn't have many natural resources, but they are used in everyday household appliances, so I think circulating resources domestically will be important for future resource acquisition." Government's Announced "1 Trillion Yen Investment Plan" In April of this year, the government announced a plan to invest approximately 1 trillion yen by 2030, through public-private partnerships, to promote resource recycling, including the development of technologies to extract "rare metals" and "rare earths" from urban mines. The background to this is China's strengthening of export controls on important minerals and the soaring prices of metals. An expert familiar with urban mines and rare metals says, "It is necessary to develop low-cost, environmentally friendly recycling technologies." Professor Toru Okabe, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo: "If the cost of recycling is too high, and the price of the metal to be recycled is low, it may be cheaper to throw it away without recycling. It may be more economically rational to buy metal made from natural ore. What Japan should do is to continuously develop new technologies at low cost and without burdening the environment. That's the most important thing." "Elect...