Viral Gold Recovery From E-Waste Triggers Rush for Old SIM Cards in China

Brief By Moneycontrol / 8:05 PM on 02 Feb 2026

A Guangdong resident shared a video showing extraction of 191 grams of gold from two tonnes of electronic waste, including discarded SIM cards. Using chemical corrosion and displacement reactions, he recovered gold worth ₹26.35 lakh, triggering a surge in demand for old SIM cards nationwide across China today.