MICROSCRAPPINGE-waste field guide

Silver in electronic waste

70 components in this guide contain silver. Spot price as of 4 Aug 2026: $59.1 per troy ounce ($1.90 per gram).

Richest sources by weight

ComponentSilver per lbValue per lbTier
Sterling & Silver-Plated Flatware420 g$798S
Silver-Graphite Brushes & Slip Rings363 g$690S
Silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors)280 g$532S
Silver-Oxide Button Cells150 g$285S
Silver mica capacitors14 g$26.6C
MLCC — palladium-bearing (PME, pre-2000)10 g$19.0S
Chip antennas (LTCC ceramic)10 g$19.0D
Metal oxide varistors (MOVs)9 g$17.1C
Relays8 g$15.2B
Ceramic disc capacitors7 g$13.3C
Tantalum capacitors6 g$11.4B
Solar cells & panels5 g$9.50C

These are yields per pound of that material, not per pound of whatever it came out of. That distinction is the single most common source of inflated figures online.

Everything containing silver

486DX Ceramic CPU — gold lid + gold pins Processors · $500–650/lb Au 2.0–3.5 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbBase Kovar S M38510 Ceramic IC — gold lid + gold legs ICs & chips · $500–650/lb Au 3–8 g/lb wholeAg 0.5–3 g/lbBase Kovar S Gold flat packs (military / aerospace) ICs & chips · $400–900/lb Au 3–10 g/lbAg 1–4 g/lb S MLCC — palladium-bearing (PME, pre-2000) Capacitors · $100–170/lb Pd 2.3–9 g/lbAg 4.5–23 g/lbBase Ni S PENTIUM PRO Pentium Pro Processors · $500–700/lb Au 0.25–0.45 g eachAg trace S Silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors) Contacts & relays · $400–550/lb Ag 180–400 g/lb of clean cut contacts S Silver-Graphite Brushes & Slip Rings Contacts & relays · $150–400/lb Ag 40–95% by weightCu pigtail + commutator segmentsBase electrographite S Silver-Oxide Button Cells Other · $40–120/lb Ag ~30–35% by weight ≈ 150 g/lbBase Zn anode ~25%Base LR/AG alkaline S Sterling & Silver-Plated Flatware Other · $700–2000/lb Ag 92.5% ≈ 420 g/lb sterlingAg hollow-handle knives: only 8–20 g per pieceAg silver plate: ~0.1–0.5 g per teaspoon S Thick-Film Hybrid Microcircuits ICs & chips · $15–90/lb Au 1.5–4 g/lb packaged; 5–10 g/lb stripped substratesAg 0–15 g/lb on Ag/Pd conductor variantsPd present in Ag/Pd pastes S BGA with gold tab / gold-corner BGA ICs & chips · $60–110/lb Au 1.0–2.0 g/lbAg 0.3–1 g/lb A Cell phone boards Boards · $25–40/lb Au 0.09–0.50 g/lbAg 0.23–1.26 g/lbPd 0.025–0.07 g/lbCu 12–56% A Ceramic BGA / CCGA ICs & chips · $120–250/lb Au 1–3 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbBase alumina A Ceramic CPU — no gold lid (black top) Processors · $130–250/lb Au 1.0–1.8 g/lbAg 0.3–1 g/lb A Ceramic IC — gold legs OR gold lid (not both) ICs & chips · $200–400/lb Au 1.0–2.5 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lb A Fiber transceivers (SFP/GBIC/QSFP) ⚠ Other · $10–25/lb Au 0.5–1.5 g/lb (whole modules)Ag trace A Gold-fingered RAM Connectors & pins · $55–76/lb Au 0.3–0.6 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbPd 0.01–0.05 g/lb A Telecom / military boards Boards · $11–35/lb Au 0.3–4 g/lbAg 1–8 g/lbPd 0.02–0.3 g/lbCu 15–25% A Telecom backplanes Boards · $10–18/lb Au 1–3 g/lb wholeAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 20–30% A Gold-plated SMD (SAW filters, RF modules, shields) ICs & chips · $40–90/lb Au 0.5–1.5 g/lbAg 0.2–1 g/lb B Hard drive PCBs Drives & media · $15–45/lb Au 0.3–0.8 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 15–25% B Laptop motherboards Boards · $10–18/lb Au 0.20–0.50 g/lbAg 1–3 g/lbPd 0.02–0.08 g/lbCu 15–25% B Plastic CPU with gold pins (P4, Athlon, S370/462/478) Processors · $30–90/lb Au 0.5–1.0 g/lbAg trace–0.3 g/lbCu IHS on P4 B Plastic ICs — pre-2010 (gold bond wire) ICs & chips · $25–45/lb Au 0.5–0.7 g/lbAg 0.2–1 g/lbPd trace–0.1 g/lb B Relays Contacts & relays · $3–10/lb Ag 2–20 g/lb of whole relayAu trace B RF Coaxial Connectors (SMA/N/BNC/TNC) Connectors & pins · $15–35/lb Au 0.10–0.40 g/lb (SMA); 0.01–0.05 g/lb (N/BNC)Cu ~190 g/lbAg trace B Server motherboards Boards · $9–16/lb Au 0.05–0.3 g/lbAg 1–3 g/lbPd 0.02–0.10 g/lbCu 15–25% B Silver-Plated Copper Wire & Coax Connectors & pins · $8–25/lb Ag 2.8–6.8 g/lb as-received; 5.7–11.3 g/lb stripped conductorCu ~230 g/lbBase 40–55% PTFE/FEP B Slot 1 / Slot A cartridge CPU Processors · $60–120/lb Au 0.3–0.75 g/lb wholeAg trace–0.5 g/lb B 107 Tantalum capacitors Capacitors · $18–85/lb Ta 30–40 wt% of the capAg 1–3% in some B Thermostats, Snap Discs & Limit Switches Contacts & relays · $25–120/lb Ag 0.4–1.6 g/lb as whole discs; 408–431 g/lb as harvested contactsBase bimetal steel discBase Hg ~3–4 g per bulb thermostat ampoule B Wire-wrap / pin boards Boards · $20–35/lb Au 0.6–1.5 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 20–30% B X-Ray Film & Spent Fixer Other · $1–4/lb Ag 0.07–0.10 ozt/lb (2.2–3.1 g/lb) medical filmAg 0.15–0.25 ozt/lb industrial NDT filmAg 1–6 g/L in spent fixer B ECU ABS, transmission & body control modules Automotive · $3–8/lb Au 0.010–0.030 g per moduleAg 0.2–1.5 g in BCM relay contactsCu 40–120 g in the ABS pump motorBase 1.5–3 lb aluminium hydraulic block C ECU Airbag control module (ACM/SDM/RCM) Automotive · $2–6/lb Au 0.010–0.030 g per unitAg 0.05–0.2 g per unit C 12V 30A Automotive relays & fuse boxes Automotive · $3–10/lb Ag 25–80 mg per mini ISO relayCu 1–3 g coil + terminals per relay C Ceramic disc capacitors Capacitors · $20–70/lb Ag 4–10 g/lbPd 0.05–0.3 g/lb C 10.000 Crystal oscillators & OCXO modules ICs & chips · $15–40/lb Au 0.1–0.5 g/lb (modules)Ag 0.5–3 g/lb C DC-DC converter bricks & isolation modules Other · $40–400/lb Au 0.08–0.3 g/lbAg 1–4 g/lbCu ~90 g/lb C Desktop motherboards Boards · $5–12/lb Au 0.02–0.15 g/lbAg 0.6–2 g/lbPd 0.01–0.05 g/lbCu 15–20% C DIP, Rotary & BCD Switches Contacts & relays · $10–30/lb Au 0.20–0.40 g/lb (DIP); 0.10–0.25 g/lb (rotary)Ag 1.0–2.5 g/lbBase 60–75% plastic/phenolic C ECU ECU / engine control module Automotive · $3–8/lb Au 0.11 g/lb of bare boardAg 0.45 g/lbPd 0.05 g/lbCu ~20% of board mass C EV / hybrid battery management boards Automotive · $5–15/lb Au 0.01–0.05 g per master boardAg ~0.1 g per master boardCu 10–50 g busbar traces per cell-tap board C Gold-fingered cards (untrimmed) Boards · $10–20/lb Au 0.2–0.5 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 15–25% C Graphics cards ⚠ Boards · $8–14/lb Au 0.20–0.50 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbCu 15–25% C HV Hybrid / EV traction inverter ⚡ Automotive · $8–20/lb Cu 3–8 kg per inverterAg 0.5–3 g sinter per power stageAu 0.02–0.08 g on gate-driver boardsBase 5–15 kg aluminium housing C Industrial Control Boards (PLC/DCS/SCADA) Boards · $3–12/lb Au 0.05–0.20 g/lb typical I/O; 0.25–0.60 g/lb CPU and backplanes; 0.6–1.5 g/lb 1970s–80s ceramic-DIP DCSAg 1–8 g per relay moduleCu ~113 g/lb C NAV Instrument clusters & head units Automotive · $3–12/lb Au 0.008–0.100 g per unitAg 0.2–0.6 g in a premium head unitPd 0.02–0.06 g in a premium head unitCu 20–500 g C Klystrons & Travelling-Wave Tubes RF, power & vintage · $3–40/lb Cu ~250 g/lb (0.35–0.75 lb Cu per lb of tube)Au ~0.5–4 g per tubeAg 2–30 g per tube C Metal oxide varistors (MOVs) Other · $15–40/lb Ag 6–14 g/lb C MLCC — modern nickel (BME, post-2005) Capacitors · $20–55/lb Pd 0.2–0.7 g/lbAg 1.4–2.7 g/lbBase Ni 5–20% C Peripheral & network cards Boards · $8–15/lb Au 0.20–0.50 g/lbAg 0.5–1.5 g/lbCu 15–25% C Silver mica capacitors Capacitors · $80–500/lb Ag 10–20 g/lbCu ~60 g/lb C Solar cells & panels Other · $8–25/lb Ag 3–8 g/lb of bare cellsBase 2–3 kg aluminium frame C Thick-film resistor networks (SIP/DIP) ICs & chips · $15–50/lb Ag 2–5 g/lbPd 0.2–0.7 g/lb C Vacuum tubes RF, power & vintage · $5–20/lb Au 0.1–0.5 g/lb (gold-pin types)Ag traceBase nickel plates C D2S Xenon HID ballasts & LED drivers Automotive · $2–6/lb Au 0.003–0.015 g per ballastCu 30–90 g in the HV transformer and inductorsAg trace in thick-film and solder C Bridge rectifiers and power diodes Other · $20–80/lb Cu 140–240 g/lbAg 0.5–2 g/lbAu ~0.02 g/lb D MHz Ceramic HRC fuses (and glass fuses) Other · $25–80/lb Ag 1–3 g/lbCu ~90 g/lb D Chip antennas (LTCC ceramic) RF, power & vintage · $20–120/lb Ag 6–18 g/lb D LEDs (through-hole and power SMD) Other · $20–90/lb Au 0.02–0.08 g/lbAg 2–7 g/lbCu ~100 g/lb D Low-grade boards (PSU, TV, modem, appliance) Boards · $2–4/lb Au 0.005–0.05 g/lbAg 0.2–0.8 g/lbCu 8–15% D MAF, MAP, knock, crank & cam sensors Automotive · $1–4/lb Pt 0.5–2 mg per hot-wire MAFAu 0.003–0.010 g per MAF boardAg 10–40 mg thick-film paste on MAP hybridsNd magnets in Hall-type crank/cam sensors D ☣ Magnetron ☣☣ RF, power & vintage · $1–4/lb Ag 0.5–2 g per magnetronCu 200–400 g per unitBase ferrite magnets D Optocouplers / optoisolators ICs & chips · $40–200/lb Au 0.1–0.35 g/lbAg 2–5 g/lbCu ~120 g/lb D Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs) Other · $150–900/lb Ag 0.1–2 g per tubeAu 0–20 mg per tubeBase BeCu dynodes with an activated BeO surface D Power supplies Other · $1–2/lb Au 0.005–0.03 g/lbCu 30–60 g per transformerAg in the relay D Set-top / cable boxes Boards · $1–3/lb Au 0.03–0.10 g/lbAg 0.3–1 g/lbCu 10–15% D Tactile switches and metal dome contacts Contacts & relays · $20–70/lb Au 0.05–0.4 g/lbAg 1–3 g/lbCu ~60 g/lb D MHz Thermistors (NTC/PTC) and piezo elements Other · $20–70/lb Ag 2–5 g/lb D