$40 million in gold recovered from recycled gadgets

Cupertino, Calif. — Your trash can eventually become Apple’s treasure.

Apple says it pulled tens of millions of dollars-worth of gold from old, broken, and unwanted iPhones last year.

The company released its annual environmental report this week. Apple said it has recovered more than a ton of gold, worth $40 million, out of recycled iPhones, iPads and Macs.

Three million pounds of copper and 66,000 pounds of silver were also reclaimed.

Apple has been ramping up its recycling programs in recent years. While gold made up a tiny amount of the reusable materials Apple said it’s recovered, gold currently trades for more than $1,200 per troy ounce. That puts it among the most valuable reclaimed materials.