Consumer demand for ethically sourced and sustainable products has grown in recent years, partly as a result of a greater awareness of the impact of manufacturing upon producers but also due to increased scrutiny over the environmental impact of metals mining.

Last month, we reviewed the Coin Conference held in Amsterdam in October. Alongside the main programme was a seminar dedicated to sustainability.

A group of organisations from both the coin and banknote sectors have joined forces to support a first-of-its-kind in-depth study into the environmental impact of cash versus digital payments.

The Mint of Finland recently presented at the High Security Print™ conference in Tallinn on sustainability and its Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

The Royal Mint (TRM) presented on sustainability at the Mint Directors Conference Online this summer.

The UK’s Royal Mint has announced plans to build a new plant in Llantrisant, South Wales, to recover gold from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Experts believe that as much as 7% of the world’s gold may be contained within the circuit boards of e-waste, most of which ends up in landfill or is incinerated.