Charlotte startup All Green Recycling is expanding with the development of new technology that makes the extraction of precious metals from circuit boards as clean as possible.
Carol Jegou, CEO and co-founder of All Green, said the technology is among the first of its kind and has successfully disrupted the smelting industry. Smelting is the process of using high heat and a reduction agent like coal to extract elements from metal.
"With this clean tech, we are able to process circuit boards in an environmentally safe way, with no air emissions or water discharge," she said. "It's a closed-loop system."
Jegou co-founded All Green in 2013 with her husband, Peter Jegou, as an electronics recycling company. Originally based in New Jersey, All Green relocated its headquarters to Charlotte in 2014t and began the long process of developing the new technology.
It was here, in Charlotte, that the Jegous decided to build a 30,000-square-foot facility that they're in the process of expanding to include a refinery. All Green's Precious Metals Recovery and Refinery will operate as a newly formed and independent division of the company.
Jegou said the clean tech, which All Green has secured a patent for, allows precious metals like pure gold, silver plating, platinum and copper to be extracted from circuit boards and recycled back into manufacturing. The bare board is also recycled for its copper content.
"There is no waste whatsoever," she said.
Jegou said All Green purchases circuit boards from other companies looking for a safe, clean way to dispose of their electronic waste. The refinery processes circuit boards of all types and sizes, from cell phone boards to large, telecom boards and server equipment.
"We take all that extracted material and grind it down into a powder. From there, it's further refined to produce the precious metals, including gold that is conflict-free," she said.
The company also earned its B Corp Certification in 2017, which means the company's purpose and profit are of equal importance. It was the first of three Charlotte companies to earn the distinction and was voted a B Corp Best for the World company in environment in 2018 and 2019, and community in 2019.
Jegou said the certification is an important one for All Green, as it was developed with environmental sustainability in mind.
"Being Certified B Corp shows potential clients, customers and partners that we really do what we say we do," she said. "A lot of companies may say they're sustainable, but we have the certification that proves it."
