British startup opens plant that pulls critical metals from old electronics
10 Jul 2026
12:04
Cisco and Mistubishi-backed startup DEScycle has opened its first demonstration plant.
The facility in northern England will recover gold, copper and other critical metals from electronic waste, as the UK looks to process more of its e-waste at home.
The facility in northern England will recover gold, copper and other critical metals from electronic waste, as the UK looks to process more of its e-waste at home.
DEScycle, a London-based startup spun out of research at the University of Leicester, has opened its first demonstration plant at the Wilton Centre in Teesside, northeast England.
The facility, run with the startup's joint venture partner GAP Group, one of the UK's largest e-waste recyclers, can process 50-100 tonnes of material a year in 250kg batches.