It’s another school day with the same ritual. You wake up to your smartphone’s alarm, scroll through messages during your commute, and listen to your favorite playlist with your wireless earbuds between classes. These devices, integrated smoothly into your daily routine, certainly make life more convenient. However, where do these devices end up after you replace them?
In fact, the issue of electronic waste is a growing global concern. According to the United Nations, in 2019 alone, we generated an astonishing 53.6 million tons of e-waste—an average of 7.3 kilograms per person. Projections hint at the figure soaring to 110 million tons by 2050. Unfortunately, only around 20% of e-waste is currently being recycled responsibly.
However, in this e-waste crisis, there’s a glint of gold—quite literally. The UK’s Royal Mint, in collaboration with Canadian start-up Excir, is pioneering aground breaking method to extract 99% of the gold from circuit boards of discarded electronics using a patented green chemical solution. As it can dissolve gold within minutes, even at room temperature, and as the solution can be reused up to 20 times, this secret formula is both efficient and eco-friendly.
The magic isn’t confined to gold. The technology also offers the prospect of recovering other precious metals, such as palladium, silver, and copper. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics demonstrated the potential of recycled metals. Organizers cast 5,000 gold, silver, and bronze medals using metals from six million cellphones and around 72,000 tons of e-waste. In line with this trend, the famous jewelry brand Pandora plans to entirely shift to recycled gold and silver by 2025.
Next time your classmates chat about the latest product launches or device trends, remember this: don’t just toss away an old smartphone. Find a way to recycle it, and you might be recovering something of genuine value.
又是一个要上课的日子和同样的例行公事。你被智能型手机的闹钟叫醒，在通勤的路上滑手机浏览讯息，在课间用无线耳机聆 听你最喜欢的播放列表。这些装置被顺畅地融入你的日常生活，确实是让生活变得更加便利。然而，当你更换这些装置后，它们最终都去了哪里呢？
事实上，电子垃圾问题是一项日益引起全球关切的议题。根据联合国的数据，仅在公元 2019 年，我们就产生了 5,360 万吨电子 垃圾，数量惊人，平均每人 7.3 公斤。预测暗示，到公元 2050 年， 这个数字将可能飙升至 1.1 亿吨。不幸的是，目前只有约 20% 的 电子垃圾以负责任的方式得到回收处理。
然而，在这场电子垃圾危机中，却有一丝希望，如黄金般闪耀 ―― 确实就是字面上的意思。英国皇家铸币厂与加拿大新创公司 Excir 合作，正开创打造出一种突破性的方法，使用一种获得专利的环保化学溶液，从废弃电子产品的电路板中提取99% 的黄金。由于这种溶液在几分钟内就可以溶解黄金，甚至在室温下也管用， 而且还可以重复使用多达 20 次，这个秘密配方既高效又环保。
魔法并不仅限于黄金。这项技术还提供了回收其他贵金属的前景，如钯、银和铜。2020 东京奥运就展示了回收金属的潜力。主办单位使用了从六百万支手机和约七万两千吨电子垃圾中提取的金属，铸造了五千枚金牌、银牌和铜牌。与此趋势一致，著名珠宝品牌潘多拉计划在公元 2025 年之前完全转向使用回收的金和银。
下次当你的同学们聊起最近一次产品发表会或最新的电子装置趋势时，请记住这一点：不要随便就扔掉旧的智能型手机。去找一种可以回收的方式，也许你就会回收一些真正有价值的东西。
1. chemistry (n.)化学；化学性质
In chemistry class, students conduct experiments to explore the behavior of certain substances under varying conditions.
在化学课上，学生做实验以探讨某些物质在不同条件下的行为。
2. generate (vt.)产生；生成；造成
The new marketing strategy aims to generate increased sales and revenue for the company.
新的营销策略旨在为公司创造更多销售额和收益。
3. projection (n.)预测；投影
Economists often make projections about future economic trends based on current data.
经济学家通常根据当前数据对未来经济走势做出预测。
4. collaboration (n.)合作；勾结
in collaboration with 与……合作
The movie’s success was due to the director’s close collaboration with talented actors and crew.
这部电影的成功是归功于导演与才华洋溢的演员和工作人员之间的密切合作。
5. circuit (n.)电路；回路；环形物
When an electrical circuit fails, it can lead to power outages or even fires.
当电路出现故障时，可能会导致停电甚至火灾。
6. patented (adj.)获得专利的
This patented technology sets the company apart from its competitors in the market.
这项获得专利的技术使该公司从市面上的竞争对手中脱颖而出。
7. dissolve (v.)（使）溶解；解散
The chef is demonstrating how to stir the chocolate gently into the cream until it dissolves smoothly.
厨师在示范如何将巧克力轻轻搅拌到奶油中，直到其顺利溶解。
8. prospect (n.)前景；展望；可能性
After losing his job, Richard had to face the prospect of financial hardship.
失业后，理查德德不得不面临到财务困难的可能。
9. bronze (n.)青铜
In sports competitions, bronze medals are usually awarded to the third-place participants.
在体育竞赛中，铜牌通常是颁发给第三名的参赛者。
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