Sell my Used Samsung in Montreal for Extracting Precious Metals

Sell my Used Samsung in Montreal for Extracting Precious Metals

Metal recovery is the most important output of recycling e-waste. All the electronic devices consist of precious and semi precious metals. These metals can be extracted from the devices during recycling and used later on for various other purposes. The waste is reduced to the minute level to be used later on. If you are still stuck with the idea of “sell my used Samsung in Montreal”, then rest assured give it someone who will recycle it to save the environment and the living beings. Montreal encourages refurbishment of old mobile phones.

The processes following which the metal recovery is done include:

· Shredding- This is also known as mechanical recycling. The electronic items are literally shredded using specialized equipment to extract metals from their body. After this is done, the materials are segregated employing vertical vibration separation, Eddy currents and magnetic field. The latest technology is used to separate iron from copper and these metals are sold for smelters and additional shredding subsequently. The less significant ones are disposed as landfills. Fine dust is another by product of the process which can be used for producing Portland cement and balance 30% of the weight. The dust particles consist of aluminium and calcium oxide with lesser amounts of lead and copper. Shredding is recommended for separating plastics from metals but is not suitable for separating PCBs from low quality metals.

· Pyrometallurgical Recovery- This is a highly technical process which entails adding concentrated copper ore to the shredded electronic waste. This is refined by using heat later on. Any kind of metal can be separated from e-waste following this process. A successful demonstration was given by Noranda process which used Copper Smelter in Canada. In this process, they treated the e-waste by adding 24% liquid copper at 1250 degree Centigrade. The process is used in converting iron, zinc and lead into oxides later separated by using silicon dioxide based slag. An anode furnace is used to refine such metals to create alloys of copper like nickel, platinum, silver, selenium, tellurium, gold and palladium containing 99.1% of the metal. Polymetallurgy is recommended for separating e-waste with high metal content. However, it is not useful for separating aluminium and other dioxins as it uses brominated flame retardants.

· Thermal Depolymerization- Decomposing organic molecules with the use of high pressure and water combined with thermal energy is the core of this method. This is usually used for making epoxies and plastic into useful oil. The solids obtained as residue from this process contains greater percentage of metals. This is a recommended process for treating e-waste consisting of high concentration of oxides.

All these processes or methods can be used for recycling electronic waste of which mobile phones are a major part and extracting metals. These metals can be used for different purposes. These are separate processes and not a chain linked to the former one. Some apt for certain kinds of e-waste while others are suitable for something else. However, the compilation does not end here. There is more to come.

Palamina : to Focus on Puno Gold Belt in Southeastern Peru

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 20, 2017 / Palamina Corp. (TSX-V: PA) has incorporated a 100% owned Peruvian subsidiary, Palamina S.A.C. On January 19, 2017, Palamina S.A.C. acquired the application mining rights to 23,000 hectares within the Department of Puno in southeast Peru north of Lake Titicaca. The application rights were acquired to establish a presence in a highly prospective auriferous belt which measures approximately 175 kilometres by 75 kilometres. The gold belt is bordered by Bolivia to the east and the Madre de Dios region to the north, and contains numerous orogenic gold showings. Palamina, in the belief that this region has considerable potential to contain significant orogenic gold deposits, has acquired the rights to five mining concessions within the belt.

Andrew Thomson, President and C.E.O. of Palamina Corp. stated, "Palamina is exploring for significant gold deposits in the Puno gold belt in southeastern Peru. Mineralized gold structures located within this emerging gold belt in the eastern Andes have been exploited by artisanal and small-scale miners for decades. These gold-bearing structures are thought to be the source of extensive alluvial gold deposits located in the low-lying Madre de Dios region to the north. Gold production from these alluvial deposits, as reported to the Peruvian Ministry of Mines for 2016, was in excess of 500,000 ounces of gold."

The Puno gold belt occurs within a larger belt of orogenic gold deposits which extends from northern Argentina, through Bolivia and the Puno belt and up to the Pataz region, located approximately 900 km to the north of the Puno belt in north-central Peru. Gold mineralization in the Puno region occurs as tabular zones of quartz veining in fine-grained metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. Tabular zones may occur as discrete, stacked bedding-parallel horizons within the host rock. Mineralization consists of native gold in veins, veinlets and microveinlets and metallurgical recoveries are typically high.

Concession applications in five separate mineralized areas were acquired; the Gaban, Cori, Coasa, Orco and Sandia project areas. Palamina has established an office in Lima and is in the process of prioritizing the claim application areas. During the next six months Palamina plans to evaluate each area and to prioritize them based on their geological potential.

A location map may be viewed at:

http://www.palamina.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/NR11map.pdf

Mr. Steven T. Priesmeyer, C.P.G., is Vice President Exploration for Palamina Corp. He is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and he has reviewed the geological contents of this press release.

About Palamina Corp.

Palamina is directed by a group of proven mine finders focused on securing mining assets in the America's with the potential to make significant discoveries. Palamina has acquired the application rights to five areas in the Puno gold belt and one project in the coastal I.O.C.G. belt in Southern Peru and holds 100% interest in three exploration projects in Mexico. Palamina has 22,574,713 shares outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Andrew Thomson, President

Phone: (416) 204-7536

or visit www.palamina.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This communication to shareholders and the public contains certain forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitations statements regarding future production, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

SOURCE: Palamina Corp.

UBC researchers develop flowsheet for LED bulb recycling

UBC researchers develop flowsheet for LED bulb recycling

VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) - Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed a flowsheet to extract copper, lead, zinc, silver and small amounts of rare earth metals, including lutetium, cerium and europium, as well as the 'technology metals' gallium and indium from discarded light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

Mineral processing engineer Dr Maria Holuszko and her PhD student, Amit Kumar, have found a way to make LEDs even more environment-friendly, developing a technology that could help in keeping industrial and precious metals out of landfills.

"This mining of metals from waste streams is what 'urban mining' is about. While urban mining, even at its most efficient, can probably only meet about a quarter of the current demand for metals, it can complement traditional mining and do the environment good at the same time," states Holuszko in an email interview.

She explains that the recycling flowsheet processes use crushing, grinding and other simple physical processes to recover valuable metals in an economic and environmentally safe manner. The methods are based on material properties, such as density, electrical conductivity, shape and size, resulting in simple, clean and economical processing.

"Our methods resulted in capturing higher amounts of recoverable, valuable metals in the final sample. The copper content alone was at 65%, compared with the 30% or 40% copper content usually obtained from ore in traditional mine processing. The lead content was 6%, zinc was 4.5% and silver was 1 640 ppm - pretty good concentrations. Eventually, we also hope to use this workflow to find a way to recover gold in significant amounts," Holuszko says.

The researchers plan to scale the process, and have to date conducted a test run of the process in collaboration with Contact Environmental, British Columbia's largest lamp recycler, located in Richmond.

"We've proven that it works, with significant amounts of copper, lead, zinc and silver being recovered and kept out of landfills. We plan to improve the recovery of metals even further and eventually implement this processing on a larger scale in 2017, with funding support from research not-for-profit Mitacs," she said.

Further, electronic waste from old computers, cellphones, LED lights and other electronic devices is a growing problem for North American communities and also for developing countries that process waste.

"If we can extract the maximum amount of material from e-waste, we would make it easier and safer to recycle. We will be able to limit other communities' exposure to potentially toxic materials, while also recovering valuable minerals. My dream is to find a way to close the cycle so that in the future, there is zero waste," Holuszko says.

Platinum ETFS for 2017

Platinum is difficult to buy and keep physically. However, investors can buy exchange-traded funds (ETFs ) that specialize in platinum. In addition to being a rare precious metal, there is great demand for platinum because it is used in car parts and electrical circuitry and even has some medical uses. Of course, platinum jewelry is also popular.

Platinum has been experiencing a price decline in recent years, but several events may boost platinum in the near future. Many platinum mines have closed and this has limited supply. If demand continues to be strong, the imbalance between supply and demand could mean a rise in price for the precious metal. Also, Asian financial institutions have decided to increase their buying of platinum to mitigate volatility in the equity markets. (See also: These Charts Suggest Now Is the Time to Buy Platinum.)

We have selected the top three platinum ETFs based on year-to-date returns as of December 31, 2016. We also looked for a variety of approaches for investing in platinum to give investors broader choices.

ETFs Physical Platinum (PPLT)

PPLT is the strongest choice for gaining exposure to the price of physical platinum. Buying shares in this ETF gives the investor nearly the same return as actual platinum would, minus fund expenses. Note that the expense ratio is 0.60%.

Investors tend to use PPLT to avoid exposure to the futures market while gaining exposure to platinum. The fund buys and holds platinum bars and stores them in vaults.

PPLT is the biggest platinum fund by trading volume. It does not pay a dividend because it only holds platinum bullion.

• Avg. Volume: 55,563

• Net Assets: $481.02 million

• Yield: 0.00%

• YTD Return: 1.88%

• Expense Ratio: 0.60%

• Inception Date: January 1, 2010

• Since Inception: -7.51%

UBS E-Tracs CMCI Long Platinum Total Return ETN (PTM)

PTM is actually an exchange-traded note (ETN) that gives investors exposure to the platinum futures markets. It attempts to mimic the UBS Bloomberg CMCI Platinum Total Return Index. The futures contracts have a maturity of three months. PTM holds a basket of futures contracts with varying expiration months to mitigate risk.

PTM is not very liquid because it trades around 10,000 shares per day. Note that an ETN is a debt security, so anyone interested in this fund should examine the creditworthiness of the entity issuing the note.

• Avg. Volume: 10,569

• Net Assets: $19.16 million

• Yield: 0.00%

• YTD Return: 1.37%

• Expense Ratio: 0.65%

• Inception Date: May 8, 2008

• Since Inception: -10.07%

iPath Bloomberg Platinum Subindex Total Return (PGM)

PGM offers a different approach to the platinum futures market. It tracks the Bloomberg Platinum Sub-index Total Return. This index holds a futures contract on platinum in the nearest contract month. It may also hold U.S. Treasury bills.

The low average volume indicates that PGM is not very liquid.

• Avg. Volume: 598

• Net Assets: $6.89 million

• Yield: 0.00%

• YTD Return: 0.85%

• Expense Ratio: 0.75%

• Inception Date: June 24, 2008

• Since Inception: -10.43%

Bottom Line

PGM and PTM do not create new shares, primarily because they are ETNs. This can lead to overvaluation of these two entities. Creating new shares tends to reduce the price of an ETF, but since ETNs seldom issue new shares, there are no new issues to counter the rise in share prices. However, investors who are interested in platinum can buy existing shares of these two ETNs.

PPLT is an actual ETF with numerous shares available. Clearly, the opportunities here are for those who think the limited supply in the face of steady or increasing demand will raise the price of this commodity. (See also: A Beginner's Guide To Precious Metals.)

Buying into platinum would most certainly be considered speculative at this point, so this ETF and the ETNs might not be suitable for the major portion of investment assets an investor may have. A careful allocation strategy, however, could make an investment in platinum a reasonable risk.

Recycle Technology and Spot Energy Commodities

In an effort to drive down the cost of technologies needed to reuse, recycle and re-manufacture materials such as metals, fibers, polymers and electronic waste, the Energy Department has announced the creation of its Reducing Embodied-energy and Decreasing Emissions Institute.

REMADE is part of the Manufacturing USA initiative, aimed at achieving a 50 % improvement in overall energy efficiency by 2027.

Headquartered in Rochester, New York, REMADE will leverage up to $70 million in federal funding, subject to appropriations.

In 2016, the spot energy index in the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index rose more than any other commodity group, some 48 %, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.

Among individual commodities, zinc, natural gas, crude oil and diesel saw larger percentage increases than all other commodities.

EIA notes that commodity price movements for 2016 were influenced by global economic growth as well as by commodity-specific supply-side factors.

Urban mining': UBC engineers say e-waste more lucrative than ore pulled from the ground

Electronic waste is proving to be a far richer source of valuable metals than any ore pulled from the ground, according to mining engineers at the University of British Columbia.

PhD student Amit Kumar and professor Maria Holuszko have succeeded in "mining" copper and silver from LED lights, and they are certain that rare earth metals such as europium, cerium and lutetium can also be recovered.

Light Emitting Diodes are gaining popularity as a highly efficient alternative to incandescent and fluorescent lights and represent an increasing proportion of e-waste and a potential source of metal pollution, said Holuszko.

"We believe that within three years there will be enough LEDs in the waste stream to make this viable," said Kumar. "And if we don't do it, they will all end up in the landfill."

What makes the LED recycling process tricky is that lights are made of fused composite materials that blend plastics and metals with a variety of other compounds that cannot simply be pulled apart.

But if LEDs are ground up fine enough, the material isn't much different from a high quality ore, though one with a variety of metals and industrial materials to be recovered.

"We are using techniques like the ones employed by the mining industry, mainly physical processes that exploit the weight, density and conductivity of the metals to separate them from other materials," said Kumar. "So far we haven't needed to use any chemicals, so it's a very clean process."

The researchers employ gravity, electrostatic separation, and other non-chemical methods to separate metals from each other and from binding materials.

Processed samples contain up to 65 per cent recoverable copper - far higher than processed ore - along with 4.5 per cent zinc and 1,640 parts per million of silver.

"Eventually, we also hope to use this workflow to find a way to recover gold in significant amounts," said Holuszko.

Recovering rare earth metals will likely be accomplished with a chemical process, but only the small amount of material that remains after the common metals are removed would need to be treated, said Kumar.

A successful test run of the process with Richmond's Contact Environmental recovered copper, zinc, lead and silver, according to Holuszko. The next step is to find an industrial partner interested in investing in a real-world pilot program.

"We have a grant from (non-profit innovation funding agency) Mitacs, but it's not enough without a private partner," she said.

Tipping point: China named top contributor to 'e-waste' mountain rising in Asia

The waste from old electronic gadgets and appliances has reached severe levels in East Asia, posing a growing threat to health and the environment unless safe disposal becomes the norm.

A customer browses a web page showing a fire-damaged Samsung Note 7 mobile phone, on a similar device, at a Samsung store. Photo: AFP

China was the biggest culprit with its electronic waste more than doubling, according to a new study by the United Nations University. But nearly every country in the region had massive increases between 2010 and 2015, including those least equipped to deal with the growing mountain of discarded smartphones, computers, TVs, air conditioners and other goods.

On average, electronic waste in the 12 countries in the study had increased by nearly two thirds in the five years, totaling 12.3 million tonnes in 2015 alone.

Second-hand electronics sold on a street in Bangkok. Photo: AP

Rising incomes in Asia, burgeoning populations of young adults, rapid obsolescence of products due to technological innovation and changes in fashion, on top of illegal global trade in waste, are among factors driving the increases.

“Consumers in Asia now replace their gadgets more frequently. In addition, many products are designed for low cost production, but not necessarily repair, refurbishment or easy recycling,” said the study. It urges governments to enact specific laws for management of electronic waste or rigorously enforce existing legislation.

Only South Korea, Taiwan and Japan have long established recycling systems based on laws introduced in the 1990s. Open dumping of lead- and mercury-laden components, open burning of plastics to release encased copper and unsafe backyard operations to extract precious metals are the norm in most countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, which also lack laws governing the treatment of electronic and electrical waste.

A worker repairs used electronic equipment at a shop in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AP

The study said open burning and unsafe recycling is associated with a slew of health problems for workers and communities near recycling operations They include infertility, childhood development problems, impaired lung function, liver and kidney damage, inheritable genetic damage and mental health problems.

Backyard recyclers are after gold, silver, palladium and copper, mainly from printed circuit boards, but the crude acid bath extraction process releases toxic fumes and is also inefficient, recovering only a portion of the valuable material.

Asia as a whole is the biggest market for electronics and appliances, accounting for nearly half of global sales by volume, and produces the most waste.

Guiyu, a heavily-polluted rural town in China that specialises in dismantling consumer electronics, some of it exported from rich countries, has become synonymous with the costs of a throwaway high-tech world.

Second-hand electronics for sale in Bangkok. Photo: AP

China has cleaned up Guiyu and other centres like it but the Basel Action Network, which brought Guiyu to international attention, said most of the dangerous practices continue in Guiyu albeit concentrated within a new industrial park on its outskirts.

Ruediger Kuehr, one of the study’s authors, said the amount of waste being generated is higher than governments estimate, partly because of their narrower definitions, and should be a wake-up call to policymakers and consumers.

“We are all benefiting from the luxury of these electrical and electronic products to a certain extent, it makes our lives easier, sometimes more complicated,” he said. “However if we want to continue like this we must be reusing the resources contained in electronic and electrical equipment.”

A smartphone, for example, uses more than half the elements in the periodic table, some of which are very rare, and in the longer-run will be exhausted without recycling, said Kuehr.

Top Precious Metal Stocks to Buy in 2017

Top Precious Metal Stocks to Buy in 2017

It's time to buy some precious metal stocks. Image source: Getty Images.

The phrase "precious metals" usually conjures up images of gold and silver, but the category also includes platinum and palladium. These metals are rare, economically valuable, and act as a hedge against inflation and uncertainty, which is why precious metal stocks soared in 2016 - a year fraught with unpredictable events. 2017 might be no different, so it's a good idea to consider precious metal investing today if you still haven't. If you're wondering where to start, here are five top precious metal stocks for 2017:

• Gold: Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:ABX)

• Silver: Hecla Mining Company (NYSE:HL)

• Silver and gold: Silver Wheaton Corp. (NYSE:SLW)

• Silver: Coeur MiningInc. (NYSE:CDE)

• Gold, platinum, and palladium: Sibanye GoldLtd.(NYSE:SBGL)

I've chosen these stocks based on their inherent competitive advantages and growth potential, which I believe are strong enough to drive them even higher after a solid rally last year.

SLW data by YCharts.

Read along to decide which stock best suits your appetite.

Barrick Gold

2016 can be called a turnaround year for Barrick. During its last quarter, the gold miner turned a profit of $175 million compared with a loss of $264 million in Q3 2015, upgraded its full-year gold production guidance, lowered its full-year all-in-sustaining-costs (AISC) guidance to $740-$775 per ounce, and confirmed its debt reduction target of $2 billion for 2016. Now, that kind of report packs a punch and should make any investor bullish about the miner.

What's more, Barrick aims to remain free-cash-flow positive at gold prices as low as $1,000 per ounce. It generated solid FCF worth $1.5 billion in the trailing 12 months despite losses as it optimized capital spending. If Barrick's FCF continues to trend higher, which I believe it will, investors can even expect a dividend raise going forward. As Barrick strives to cut down its AISC to $700 per ounce by 2019 to remain the lowest-cost producer in the industry, shareholders should be rewarded along the way.

Hecla Mining

Hecla's incredible rally in 2016 wasn't a fluke: The silver miner had a lot going for it. Hecla's revenue hit a record high in Q3 and jumped 47% during the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2016, as recent project expansions paid off. Hecla just released its preliminary full-year numbers: Its gold and silver production jumped 48% and 24%, respectively, to hit record highs in 2016. Hecla isn't resting on its laurels, though. It plans to ramp up production further this year and also has acquisitions on its radar, which should push its cash margins even higher.

Image source: Hecla Mining.

Higher production and lower costs are also boosting Hecla's cash flows, so much so that its FCF came in at around $38 million for the trailing 12 months compared to negative $31 million in 2015. That's a dramatic turnaround and sets the pace for another strong year for Hecla.

Coeur Mining

Coeur's story is similar to Hecla's: rising production, declining costs, and expanding cash flow. Coeur's silver equivalent production hit record highs of 36.3 million ounces in 2016. Here are two numbers you should know: Coeur's production has grown 50% since 2014, and the company is targeting 9% higher production at the midpoint of 2017 as it ramps up its primary mine at Palmarejo, Mexico.

Palmarejo could, in fact, be a game-changer, as Franco Nevada recently struck an agreement with Coeur to purchase 50% of the mine's production at $800 per ounce, almost twice the amount it paid under the old agreement. That should mean rapid growth for Coeur's free cash flow, which hit multiyear highs of $42 million during the trailing 12 months. Meanwhile, Coeur also lowered its debt by 21% in Q3 - a trend I expect will continue in coming quarters. As production and cash flow rise, so should Coeur's stock.

Silver Wheaton

As a streaming company that doesn't own mines but buys bullion from other miners at prices substantially below spot rates - its average purchase cost is only about $4 per ounce of silver and $400 per ounce of gold - Silver Wheaton's margins are the best in the industry.

SLW Operating Margin (TTM) data by YCharts.

The biggest catalyst for Silver Wheaton is gold, which should make up 45% of its production by 2020. Higher gold production sent Silver Wheaton's operating cash flow jumping 62% year over year in Q3, encouraging the company to increase its dividend by 20%. So you can imagine the growth potential Silver Wheaton can unlock for its investors in 2017 and beyond as it increases its exposure to gold. At 15 times price-to-operating cash flow per share, the stock is also cheaper than that of streaming peers Franco Nevada and Royal Gold, making it a top pick today.

Sibanye Gold

The primary reason this African gold miner has made it on my list is its impending acquisition of Stillwater Mining - the largest and lowest-cost primary producer of platinum and palladium in the U.S. - in an all-cash deal worth $2.2 billion. As these metals have diverse uses across key industries including automotive, electronics, and petroleum refining, a boost in infrastructure spending in the U.S. and a recovery in the oil and gas markets could be a big boon for Sibanye. In fact, the palladium industry is already facing a supply crunch - a factor that has sent palladium prices soaring in recent months.

Sibanye expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive and is confident of maintaining stable dividends going forward. Sibanye paid out a hefty interim dividend last year and currently yields an eye-popping 6%. That dividend, and the tremendous growth potential in the palladium markets, makes Sibanye a top pick for 2017.

Gov. Christie Signs Bill to Revamp New Jersey's E-Waste Recycling Program

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed a bill to revamp the state's current e-waste recycling program, which safely disposes old televisions, computers and other electronic equipment. With the new bill, electronic manufacturers will be responsible for the cost and obligation of recycling e-waste.

In the past, towns and counties across the state would cover the cost to recycle e-waste in the event that manufacturers stopped paying for the disposal. But now, towns and counties won't have to worry about coming up with additional funds for e-waste disposal.

NJ Spotlight has more details:

Gov. Chris Christie yesterday signed a bill to overhaul the state's e-waste recycling program, a step advocates say will ensure the safe disposal of old televisions, computers, and other electronic equipment.

The legislation (S-981) is designed to put the onus on electronic manufacturers to bear the cost and obligation of recycling e-waste, which includes in many cases toxic materials such as lead.

Ringing in the New Year with a Bullish Case for Gold

You could say gold miners struck gold in 2016. The group, as measured by the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index, finished the year up an amazing 55 percent, handily beating all other asset classes shown below.

Miners were followed by commodities at 25 percent and silver at 15 percent. Gold finished up 8.6 percent, its first positive year since 2012, when it gained 7.1 percent. (Keep your eyes peeled for our forthcoming annual periodic table of commodity returns, one of our perennially popular pieces!)

I find it curious that many in the financial media continue to have a bias against gold, even though it generated better returns in 2016 than 10-year Treasuries and the U.S. dollar, which performed half as well. And when it was up as much as 28 percent in the summer, they still didn’t have anything positive to say, arguing it had gone up too much.

(Gold traders, on the other hand, have a much different opinion about the metal right now. A group of traders recently surveyed by Bloomberg revealed they are the most bullish on gold since the end of 2015, soon before it rallied in its best first half of the year since 1974. The traders cited geopolitical concerns, both in the U.S. and Europe, as well as stronger demand in 2017.)

And isn’t it interesting that the same media figures who are biased against gold are usually the same ones who seem to have only disparaging things to say about Brexit and President-elect Donald Trump? What they don’t realize is that if Brexit and Trump succeed, so too do the U.K. and the U.S. Are they hoping Brexit and Trump will fail so they can be proved right?

The smart people realize personal politics must be put aside. Despite supporting Hillary Clinton during the primaries, Warren Buffett now says he is behind the president-elect—because he knows that if the U.S. does well, he does well too. Despite campaigning hard against Trump, President Barack Obama says now we should all be rooting for Trump, regardless of our politics.

Negative Real Rates Should Drive Gold Prices

But back to gold. Coming up on January 28, we have the Chinese New Year, when demand for the yellow metal historically has risen, along with prices. This will be the year of the fire rooster, one of whose lucky colors is gold.

Throughout 2017, the precious metal should be supported by even deeper negative real rates, which could fall to their lowest level in two years as inflation outpaces nominal interest rate increases, according to UBS. In October, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen suggested there might be some benefit in allowing inflation to exceed the central bank’s target rate of 2 percent before another hike is considered, which is good news for gold. Numerous times in the past I’ve shown that the yellow metal has tended to rise when real rates—what you get when you subtract inflation from the federal funds rate—fell into negative territory.

“Federal Reserve interest rate hikes could weigh on gold prices in the near term,” according to UBS’s house view. “But as real rates fall more deeply into negative territory through the next year, we expect prices to rise toward $1,350 an ounce.”

Gold Extremely Undervalued

Since Election Day, domestic stocks have rallied 6.5 percent while gold has dropped as much as 7.6 percent. What this means is gold is looking extremely undervalued compared to the S&P 500, which should appeal to value investors.

Look at the gold-to-S&P 500 ratio below. The lower the ratio, the more undervalued the metal is compared to blue-chip stocks. In fact, gold is at its most undervalued in at least 10 years right now.

Technically, gold still appears oversold, down almost one standard deviation now. As you can see, it’s moving back to its mean for the 60-day period, but there’s still time to capture potential growth.

Commodities Show Resilience Despite Strengthening U.S. Dollar

Commodities were the second-best asset class last year because manufacturers and trade are showing improvement.

Global manufacturing expanded for the fourth straight month in December, reaching 52.7, its highest reading since February 2014. The individual U.S., Germany, Japan, and eurozone PMIs all hit their highest posts in at least a year, building on a strengthening uptrend that’s been in place since September. International trade volume expansion hit a 27-month high, according to Markit. And despite the “negative” consequence of Brexit, the U.K. Manufacturing PMI posted an amazing 56.1, up from 53.4 in November.

As for commodities, I’m pleased they’ve shown resilience in the face of a strengthening U.S. dollar. CLSA analyst Christopher Wood touched on this very topic in his recent edition of “GREED and fear,” writing that “the renewed dollar strength post Trump’s victory has not been accompanied by renewed commodity weakness. Rather the reverse has happened, with copper rallying, for example, on presumed hopes of increased demand triggered by Trump’s infrastructure policies.”

China’s commodities trading volume has also been impressive, maintaining its rank as the world’s heaviest for the seventh consecutive year.

Of course, price appreciation for commodities and natural resources is inflationary for consumer goods. Because of possibly rising gasoline prices, U.S. drivers are expected to spend about $52 billion more at the gas pump this year compared to 2016, according to GasBuddy’s 2017 Fuel Price Outlook. Three-dollar gas will likely become a reality again in several large cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.

Whatever you end up paying, make it a point this year to stay optimistic. Not only does being optimistic help you stay healthy, both mentally and physically, but it also allows you to see the opportunities that others might not.

The NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index is a modified market capitalization weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold and silver. The S&P 500 Stock Index is a widely recognized capitalization-weighted index of 500 common stock prices in U.S. companies. The Dow Jones Commodity Index is a broad measure of the commodity futures market that emphasizes diversification and liquidity through a simple, straightforward, equal-weighted approach.The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is an index created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) designed to measure equity market performance in global emerging markets. It is a float-adjusted market capitalization index that consists of indices in 23 emerging economies: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Standard deviation is a measure of the dispersion of a set of data from its mean. The more spread apart the data, the higher the deviation. Standard deviation is also known as historical volatility.

The J.P. Morgan Global Purchasing Manager’s Index is an indicator of the economic health of the global manufacturing sector. The PMI index is based on five major indicators: new orders, inventory levels, production, supplier deliveries and the employment environment.

All opinions expressed and data provided are subject to change without notice. Some of these opinions may not be appropriate to every invest. Some links above may be directed to third-party websites. U.S. Global Investors does not endorse all information supplied by these websites and is not responsible for their content.

Where do your electronics go to die? This Seattle man knows - and he's doing something about it

There are few tech-related gigs where getting pelted with rocks is an expected workplace hazard. Seattle's Jim Puckett holds one of those jobs.

Twenty years ago - when consumers were falling in love with iMac's candy colors and most computers had CD-ROM drives - Puckett began raising the alarm about the hazards of dumping electronic waste that can contain mercury, lead, cadmium and flame retardants.

Puckett is the founder of the nonprofit Basel Action Network, or BAN. For decades he's waged an often lonely battle to stop the U.S. and other wealthy countries from using poor countries as toxic e-waste junkyards.

Americans are tossing or recycling more than 142,000 computers and 416,000 mobile devices every day, according to federal data from 2010. Last year, Washington state alone collected more than 37 million pounds of discarded TVs, computers and monitors through its E-Cycle program.

Jim Puckett, founder of BAN, stands before a photo of a tiny fraction of the cell phones discarded each year. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler)

"It is still a tremendous issue," Puckett said.

Only half of U.S. states have programs requiring e-waste to be recycled instead of landfilled. In a program like Washington state's, the products are processed to recover and recycle metals and plastics. Some of the working items that are not yet obsolete can be reused. Roughly 40 percent of the unusable waste is recycled, based on BAN's estimates, while the rest is incinerated or sent to a landfill.

America is the only developed country that has not ratified an agreement known as the Basel Convention, which says it's illegal to export hazardous electronic waste. That allows U.S. handlers to ship the trash, but it's still unlawful for developing nations to import it. Most American e-waste is sent to Asia, according to investigations by BAN. The countries receiving the outdated or broken electronics often lack regulations and enforcement to protect workers trying to extract metals from the waste, exposing themselves to toxic chemicals and poisoning drinking water and the environment.

The fight to control e-waste has sent Puckett around the globe, most recently to Hong Kong and Taiwan, peering over fences to discover where our gadgets are going to die - and drawing the attention of angry rock throwers along the way.

Videos and photos collected by BAN over the years show workers picking through landfills piled high with e-waste and crouched over open fires or acid baths, trying to extract and recapture minute metal components from the debris. Thanks in large part to BAN's scrutiny, those practices are less uncommon now in many areas - but in some cases the dangerous work has just relocated.

Workers in developing countries will melt circuit boards and collect the metals, but expose themselves to deadly chemicals. (BAN Photo)

The town of Guiyu in mainland China was once a hot spot for e-waste exports, but after government crackdowns the hazardous business shifted to the New Territories area of Hong Kong. Current threats in the new locations include junkyard fires and workers' exposure to mercury, flame retardants and other pollutants as they dismantle the waste in primitive conditions.

The need for controls keeps growing as electronics permeate every facet of our lives - just look at this year's CES show in Las Vegas where companies were pitching the newest e-gadgets, some of questionable utility, including a "smart" mirror and a toothbrush endowed with artificial intelligence.

BAN's investigations into e-waste exports are making the news in Hong Kong, a new hotbed for junkyards. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler)

At the same time, many environmentalists - and nonprofit donors - have shifted their attention to fighting the massive threat posed by climate change. BAN's staff has shrunk from 12 people to nine employees a year ago to its current five, housed in a modest office in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood.

There has been progress in combating the unsafe disposal of electronic waste. Washington launched an E-Cycle program eight years ago, and BAN runs the e-Stewards program to certify responsible recyclers. But recent reports from BAN show that vigilance is needed.

BAN teamed up with researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Senseable City Lab to track e-waste using GPS devices. They hid trackers in flat-screen monitors with mercury backlights, lead-containing computer monitors and printers that were delivered to recycling companies on the West Coast, the Midwest and Northeast.

The trackers worked great, reliably mapping the path of the trashed electronics. Unfortunately, they showed that even certified recycling companies were shipping to developing countries - including Seattle's Total Reclaim, a company long viewed a recycling leader in Washington.

One of the places that the trackers led BAN was to "Mr. Lai's Farm" - an electronic junkyard in Hong Kong's New Territories. (BAN Photo)

"I was totally crushed," Puckett said, to learn that Total Reclaim was shipping waste abroad. The company and its founder, Craig Lorch, were early supporters of BAN's rigorous e-Stewards certification. "He was an iconic recycler that started this program."

The trackers, which were planted in 205 waste electronics, revealed that at least 40 percent of the items dropped at U.S. recyclers were being exported - most likely illegally, at least for the importing country. Puckett guesses the real number is probably closer to 50 percent, given that some of the transponders might have stopped signaling before reaching foreign ports.

"People used to be able to hide and lie," he said. The trackers have changed that. "They're like little lie detectors, they report every 24 hours, 'Here I am. Here I am.'"

As a result of the investigation by BAN and MIT, this fall the Washington Department of Ecology fined Total Reclaim $444,000 for shipping defunct TVs and computer monitors to Hong Kong.

The penalty is under appeal and Lorch declined to comment for this story. But Andrew Wineke, a spokesman for Ecology's e-waste program, said that Total Reclaim is now in compliance. Their fixes included installing processing equipment to grind some of the electronic parts and capture the mercury they contain.

BAN and a Hong Kong media outlet used a drone to peer into Mr. Lai's Farm. (BAN Photo)

"This was a serious blow and Total Reclaim was the largest single processor (in Washington)," Wineke said. "It's serious, but the program as a whole is working."

The tracking devices also showed that Goodwill Industries was exporting e-waste, including computers that Dell had contracted with the group to dispose of safely.

"It was a stab in the eye of those who were saying the (e-waste export) problem is solved," Puckett said.

Part of the challenge, said Puckett, is that the electronics industry creates products intending for them to become obsolete and frequently replaced. To reduce the harm caused by e-waste, he encourages people to choose greener products, as rated by the EPA's Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), and to recycle them with e-Stewards certified companies. He would also like products, particularly those used by businesses, to be offered through lease programs to incentivize the production of longer-lasting items.

As one would expect, you would not have seen Puckett cruising the aisles of CES searching for the next hot electronic device. He owned his last computer, a MacBook Pro, for 10 years.

"It finally melted down," he said.