Certification validates Mint’s world-first metal recovery technology capable of returning traceable, certified copper from electronic waste for reuse in new products.
SYDNEY, March 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mint Innovation, an e-waste technology company, today announced it has successfully produced the industry’s first batch of certified closed loop recycled copper through an industry-first collaboration with HP Inc. The milestone demonstrates Mint’s proprietary biosorption technology, which recovers high-purity copper from HP’s end-of-life printed circuit boards (PCBs) for reuse in HP PC manufacturing starting with the HP EliteBook X G2 Series laptops and HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC.
The announcement comes as the world grapples with a mounting e-waste crisis. According to the United Nations, humanity generates a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste annually, a figure on track to rise to 82 million tonnes by 2030, with less than a quarter formally recycled. Most current recycling methods involve smelting, which is extremely energy intensive and burns off valuable components.
By contrast, Mint Innovation’s metal recovery process uses chemistry and patented biosorption technology to recover and refine metals locally. During the initial validation phase at Mint’s Sydney facility, HP PCBs are processed to produce high-purity copper sheets; the recovered material received third-party certification from TÜV Rheinland.
"We are the only company in the world capable of tracing individual batches of metal from the waste pile back to the new product at commercial scale, a level of transparency that traditional smelting simply cannot provide," said Matt Bedingfield, President of Mint Innovation. “This collaboration with HP is more than just recycling; it is a blueprint for the future of supply chain security. We have proven that critical metals can be recovered, certified, and reused locally, eliminating the need to ship waste halfway across the world.”
Validating the Circular Supply Chain
The certification addresses a critical gap in the global electronics market: the lack of traceable, recycled-content verification. An independent audit by TÜV Rheinland confirmed that Mint’s recovered copper meets rigorous quality and chain-of-custody requirements across ISO 14021, EN 15343, and ISO 22095 standards.
This batch-processing capability also allows Mint to offer "Recycled Metal as a Service" (RMaaS), giving manufacturers the ability to retain ownership of their strategic resources.
As part of the validation process, HP provided representative electronic waste materials and worked across its supply chain to support traceability and testing requirements. The learnings from this process help inform how recycled materials could be evaluated and integrated more consistently across future manufacturing programs, supporting broader efforts to scale circular manufacturing.
“We’re focused on finding practical ways to increase the use of recycled materials in our products, and that starts with the ability to verify where materials come from and how they perform,” said Stacy Wolff, Senior Vice President of Design & Sustainability, HP Inc. “Independent certification like Mint’s innovative process helps validate what’s possible and builds confidence as circular manufacturing continues to scale.”
Expansion to the United States
Following the success of its commercial scale prototype in Sydney, Mint Innovation is accelerating its global expansion. The company is currently constructing its first U.S. commercial facility in Longview, Texas, scheduled to launch in 2027. The new site will serve as a hub for North American customers, strengthening domestic access to critical materials.
About Mint Innovation
Founded in 2016, Mint Innovation is an e-waste technology company pioneering the recovery of critical and precious metals from complex waste streams, including electronic waste and lithium-ion batteries. Mint’s low-carbon biosorption process recovers metals in city-scale facilities, offering a sustainable, domestic alternative to traditional smelting. The company was recognized as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer in 2022, won the 2023 InnovationAus Awards for Advanced Manufacturing, and was a runner-up in Mission Innovation's Net-Zero Awards at COP28. For more information, visit www.mint.bio.
Lauren O'Brien (630) 345-2766 [email protected]
