Waste management
The University of Edinburgh has licensed a breakthrough electronic waste recycling technology to mineral processing company Lithium Universe, marking a major step forward in sustainable gold and copper recovery from e-waste.
The innovative Gold Copper Diamide Extraction (GCDE) process was developed by Professor Jason Love and Professor Carole Morrison from the University’s School of Chemistry, with commercialisation support from Edinburgh Innovations. The technology enables cleaner, low-temperature extraction of valuable metals from discarded electronics and printed circuit boards.
Under an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement, Lithium Universe will deploy and sub-license the GCDE technology globally as part of its growing precious metals recycling and circular economy strategy.
Electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, is one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams. Global e-waste volumes are projected to reach 93.5 million tonnes by 2030, yet only around 20% is currently recycled using environmentally responsible methods.
Despite the environmental challenges, e-waste contains high concentrations of valuable metals. One tonne of typical electronic waste can contain more than US$46,000 worth of gold and approximately US$2,000 worth of copper at current market prices.
Traditional e-waste recycling methods typically rely on furnace smelting at temperatures above 1,200°C or the use of aggressive chemical leaching processes. These methods are energy-intensive, environmentally damaging, and often depend on hazardous chemicals.
The University of Edinburgh’s GCDE process offers a cleaner alternative.
The patented GCDE technology uses low-temperature hydrometallurgy and reusable organic ligands to selectively recover gold and copper from electronic waste under mild conditions.
Unlike conventional extraction methods, the process avoids the use of cyanide, mercury, and toxic solvent extraction systems, significantly reducing environmental impact while improving metal recovery efficiency.
Professor Jason Love explained:
“Electronic waste is effectively a high-grade urban ore. Our goal was to design chemistry that can recover those metals selectively and safely, without the energy and environmental cost of smelting.
“The diamide behaves like a molecular magnet for gold. By following with a selective copper step, we can recover two of the most valuable metals in e-waste with high purity and lower environmental impact.”
Lithium Universe plans to integrate the GCDE process into its Precious Metals Recycling Division, complementing the company’s existing silver recovery technologies for end-of-life solar panels.
Executive Chair Iggy Tan said the licensing agreement strengthens the company’s position in sustainable metals recovery and circular economy technologies.
“This breakthrough from the University of Edinburgh reinforces the strategic expansion of our Precious Metals Recycling Division into high-value recovery technologies.
“Our team is highly encouraged by the potential of this clean chemistry innovation. By integrating selective metal recovery with sustainable processing, Lithium Universe Limited strengthens its competitive position in circular-economy solutions for gold, silver, and copper recovery.”
Dr Susan Bodie, Director of Innovation Development and Licensing at Edinburgh Innovations, said the partnership demonstrates how university research can deliver scalable environmental solutions.
“This collaboration shows how fundamental chemistry can deliver practical solutions to global sustainability challenges.
“By partnering with an industrial scale-up specialist, we can ensure this technology has real-world impact in the circular economy for electronic materials.”
The licensing agreement positions the University of Edinburgh and Lithium Universe at the forefront of next-generation e-waste recycling technologies, supporting global demand for sustainable precious metals recovery and cleaner resource management.
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