What is the environmental cost of mining gold?

Gold mining produces high CO₂ emissions, consumes large volumes of water, and creates toxic waste. It can also lead to deforestation, land disruption, and pollution of local ecosystems with chemicals like mercury and cyanide.

Why is reused gold considered more sustainable?

Reused gold doesn’t require new mining. It keeps valuable materials in circulation, reduces resource use, and supports a circular economy with a far smaller environmental footprint.

How is the environmental impact calculated?

Our calculator uses averages from academic studies and mining industry data to estimate CO₂ emissions, energy use, water consumption, land disturbance, and toxic waste per gram of gold.

What do the results mean for me?

The results show how much environmental harm is avoided by keeping your gold in circulation instead of requiring new mining. It highlights your potential impact across key environmental metrics like emissions, water, and energy.

Gold Mining Environmental Impact Calculator

Calculate the environmental impact of gold mining by weight.

Weight

Environmental Impact Calculation

CO2 Emissions	0	kg
Water Usage	0	liters
Fossil Fuel Consumption	0	liters
Land Disturbance	0	hectares
Energy Consumption	0	kWh
Toxic Waste	0	kg

Backed by research. See sources.

Turn Old Jewelry & Bullion Into a Force for Good

By recycling one ounce of gold, which is equivalent to just two gold rings, a necklace and a bracelet, you could prevent over 600 kg of CO₂ emissions and save over 30,000 liters of water – the same amount used by one person in six months.

Every small action adds up. Here’s the difference you can make:

CO2 Emissions (kg)	0
Water Usage (liters)	0
Fossil Fuel Consumption (liters)	0
Land Disturbance (hectares)	0
Energy Consumption (kWh)	0
Toxic Waste (kg)	0

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Sources

CO2 Emissions

World Gold Council

Gold and climate change: Current and future impacts

https://www.gold.org/goldhub/research/gold-and-climate-change-current-and-future-impacts

Water Usage

Mining.com

Water and mining: A love/hate relationship

https://www.mining.com/web/water-and-mining-a-lovehate-relationship/

Fossil Fuel Consumption

ScienceDirect

The environmental impact of gold production

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652611000030

Land Disturbance

European Parliament

The social and environmental impact of mining in the ACP

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/acp/dv/impactmining_/impactmining_en.pdf

Energy Consumption

Mining-Technology

Going off-grid: miners turn to alternative power supply

https://www.mining-technology.com/features/going-off-grid-miners-turn-to-alternative-power-supply/

Toxic Waste

Earthworks

Environmental impacts of gold mining

https://earthworks.org/issues/environmental-impacts-of-gold-mining/

Frequently Asked Questions

Recycling gold reduces the demand for newly mined gold, which is one of the most environmentally damaging industries in the world. By keeping gold in circulation, we help cut down on energy use, water consumption, and toxic waste from mining operations.

Mining just one ounce of gold can produce over 20 tons of toxic waste, consume thousands of liters of water, and release significant greenhouse gases. It also contributes to deforestation, soil erosion, and mercury pollution in rivers and ecosystems.

Reused gold requires zero new mining. It uses far less energy and resources compared to extracting gold from the earth, making it one of the most sustainable materials when recycled. Every piece of gold sold and reused helps reduce the footprint of the jewelry and tech industries.

We use industry research and academic data to estimate the average CO₂ emissions, water use, and waste generated by mining versus recycling gold. The calculator compares your items to these benchmarks to show the positive impact of choosing to recycle.

The results show the estimated resources saved by recycling or selling your gold instead of letting it sit unused. It’s like seeing your personal impact report in gallons of water saved, pounds of waste avoided, or CO₂ kept out of the atmosphere.

Selling your unused gold for recycling helps reduce waste by keeping precious metals in circulation, but it doesn’t stop gold mining. Unlike Fairtrade Gold, recycled gold doesn’t directly benefit miners or reduce mining demand. That said, it’s still far better than letting gold sit idle or end up in a landfill. Giving your gold a second life is a meaningful step toward a more circular, lower-waste economy.

Recycled gold keeps metal in use and avoids the need for disposal, but it doesn’t change mining practices. Fairtrade Gold, on the other hand, supports small-scale miners with fair wages, safer practices, and community development. Both have value, but Fairtrade Gold addresses the root of mining-related harm in ways recycled gold alone can’t.

Sustainability is a key part of our mission. By helping people recycle gold responsibly, we’re reducing waste and encouraging a circular economy. Every transaction with Alloy helps keep valuable resources in use and out of landfills.

Once we receive, verify and pay you for your items, we safely refine them and return the metal to the market. Your gold may be reused in medical equipment, manufacturing, or electronics such as vehicles among other items, extending its life and reducing the need for new mining. If you are ready to request a free, no-obligation Alloy Appraisal Kit you can click here.