Dell Recycles Gold From Motherboards to Create Jewelry

Dell Jewelry process — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell’s trash will soon be your treasure, now that the computing company is partnering with actress Nikki Reed to turn electronic waste into recycled gold jewelry. Known as the new Circular Collection, this jewelry line is made from the gold recovered from Dell computer motherboards, and seeks to highlight the value of recycling and sustainable design.

The collection includes 14- and 18-carat gold rings, earrings, and cufflinks, and will make their debut at CES 2018, where attendees can ooh and aah at the possibilities of a few old computers and creative jewelry designers. Created in conjunction with Reed’s personal business, Bayou with Love, all the pieces in the Circular Collection are sourced entirely from Dell’s machinery.

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Dell Jewelry cuff links — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell Jewelry drop earring — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell Jewelry open ring — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell Jewelry opal stud — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell Jewelry ball ring — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell Jewelry opal ball ring — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dell Jewelry opal ring — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Bayou with Love was created to bring greater awareness to the human impact on our planet and show that beautiful items can come from sustainably sourced and recycled materials,” said Reed, co-founder of Bayou with Love. “By recycling gold that was once considered ‘waste,’ Dell and I are working to create an environment where we continuously reuse resources and strive for zero waste.”

Aside from making jewelry, Dell is also finding other ways to repurpose previously used metal. The company has announced an industry-first pilot to make use of recycled gold from old electronics in new computer motherboards beginning in March 2018. This program could have enormous environmental impacts, as it is estimated that today, only 12.5 percent of e-waste is recycled.

That means that folks in the United States alone throw away some $60 million worth of gold and silver (and that only takes into consideration discarded phones). But Dell hopes to use its new jewelry line and pilot program to aid in sustainability efforts, and prevent potentially hazardous materials from ending up in landfills.

“At Dell, we pride ourselves in finding better, more efficient ways to do business particularly throughout our supply chain,” said Dell vice chairman Jeff Clarke. “Materials innovation — where and how we source things like plastic, carbon fiber, and now gold for our products — is increasingly important for us.” Noting that there is 800 times more gold in a ton of motherboards than a ton of ore, Clarke said that Dell has realized “the enormous opportunity [it has] to put valuable materials to work.”

Pieces from the new jewelry line can be pre-ordered beginning at $88 from the Bayou with Love website.