“enim” represents much more than just a name. In fact, “enim,” read backward, becomes “mine,” directly reflecting our mission to retrieve precious raw materials hidden within our obsolete electronic devices, the urban mine, and reintroduce them into the market. This anacyclic word – a word that takes another meaning when read backwards – embodies our unwavering commitment to the concept of circularity, which is the very essence of our company.
An urban mine represents a key advancement in our approach to resources. It’s an innovative approach where valuable materials are retrieved from waste mostly generated in urban areas. Unlike traditional mining, which involves extracting natural resources directly from pristine sites, urban mines alleviate our environment by recycling and revalorizing various metals and minerals from diverse sources such as electronic waste, construction debris, and much more!
This method, at the core of the circular economy principle, transforms waste into valuable resources, creating a sustainable lifecycle for materials and reducing the overall environmental footprint. With their waste transformed into treasures, communities play an essential role in supplying resources, actively contributing to environmental sustainability and fostering local economic development.
Each year, over 85 billion Canadian’ worth of precious metals adds up to the urban mine, with only a fraction of this deposit currently being revalorized. enim aims to unlock and enhance this largely untapped potential through dedicated partnerships, contributing to a future where electronic resources are managed responsibly and sustainably for the benefit of our planet.
enim’s goal is to recover and revalorize the critical, strategic, and precious metals found in electronic waste — such as gold, silver, copper, and other essential materials — to reintroduce them into the economy in an eco-responsible way rather than allowing them to be wasted, incinerated, or landfilled. Through an innovative process that eliminates the use of toxic substances like cyanide and mercury, enim produces low-carbon metals, including some of the most responsible gold and copper in the world.
Beyond metals, enim is also committed to achieving a zero-waste objective by repurposing other components found in electronic waste, such non-metallic residues, to give them new value within the circular economy.
By partnering with certified local and global partners, enim engages citizens and businesses through responsible collection initiatives, transforming the “urban mine” into a sustainable resource. Each recovered batch is traceable and meets the highest ethical and environmental standards, setting an exemplary model for electronic waste management.
The term “electronic waste”, also known as “e-waste”, refers to a wide range of devices powered by electricity or batteries that have become obsolete or non-functional. This includes computers, mobile phones, tablets, televisions, household appliances, electronic toys, and an expanding array of connected devices such as smart bulbs, doorbells, jewelry, and watches. Medical equipment and data center infrastructure, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence (AI), also contribute significantly to this growing category of waste.
Electronic waste has existed for decades, creating a historical backlog of products rich in valuable metals that remain untapped. This accumulated stockpile, coupled with the rapidly increasing volumes driven by technological advancements and the proliferation of connected devices, represents a vast opportunity for resource recovery.
Today, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally, posing significant environmental and social challenges. It contains not only valuable resources but also toxic substances that can contaminate soil, water, and harm human health.
At enim, we tackle this issue by transforming complex waste streams into valuable resources. Through our eco-friendly, low-carbon, and toxin-free technology, we recover critical, strategic, and precious metals, as well as other components from electronic boards. Our goal is to minimize waste, repurpose materials, and actively contribute to a sustainable, circular economy with a zero-waste objective.
E-waste from urban mines can contain up to 100 times more gold per ton than ore from primary extraction. This abundance can be attributed to the diverse precious components present in electronic devices, notably gold, used for its electrical conductivity. Interestingly, up to 7% of the world’s gold reserves are estimated to be present in these urban mines.
By recycling e-waste, significant amounts of gold, as well as other precious metals, can be extracted, thereby reducing the demand for primary extraction and minimizing the significant environmental footprint associated with this practice. This approach not only addresses an environmental and social challenge but also transforms waste into an economic opportunity that promotes fairer and more responsible resource management.
It is crucial to address the management of electronic waste due to the escalating scale of this global issue. Currently, out of the 62 million tons of e-waste generated annually worldwide, only 22% is documented as recycled, with the remainder ending up in landfills or incinerators. By 2050, the volume of e-waste is expected to nearly double to approximately 120 million tons—enough to fill nearly 103,000 indoor tennis courts every year. Given this alarming growth, it is imperative to develop effective solutions to ensure that these valuable resources are neither burned nor buried.
To tackle this challenge, initiatives such as economic incentives, stricter legislative restrictions, and increased community awareness are crucial. These measures can significantly increase the percentage of e-waste recycled, reducing its environmental impact and contributing to a more sustainable future. This future harmonizes prosperity and equity with the protection of our planet’s biodiversity while fostering active community participation in the responsible recovery and reuse of critical resources.
The improper management of electronic waste is one of the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. Each year, millions of tons of obsolete or unusable devices are mishandled, leading to severe impacts such as soil and water pollution, health risks, and human exploitation in vulnerable regions.
At the same time, traditional primary extraction methods used to meet the growing demand for precious and strategic metals cause significant disruptions to ecosystems, greenhouse gas emissions, and ethical challenges in certain mining areas.
enim’s approach tackles these dual challenges simultaneously. By transforming electronic waste into sustainable and traceable resources, our solution reduces reliance on virgin resources, limits the negative impacts of mining, and locally valorizes critical and strategic materials while minimizing the carbon footprint.
enim’s non-toxic hydrometallurgical process produces no harmful emissions — be they liquid, gaseous, or solid — and actively contributes to the preservation of biodiversity. With rigorous traceability standards, enim ensures products meet the highest ethical and environmental expectations for industries and consumers alike.
The enim solution not only mitigates environmental and social impacts but also reinvests in the circular economy and local communities, supporting job creation and sustainable development. Furthermore, it offers a responsible and ethical alternative to traditional mining, addressing today’s needs while paving the way for a cleaner and fairer future.
By providing a local, low-carbon solution, enim contributes to the responsible management of electronic resources while addressing global challenges in a sustainable and community-focused manner. The result: the most eco-friendly gold in the world!
Pyrometallurgy, currently the most widely used method for recovering metals and materials from recycled sources, involves burning organic materials (plastics) contained in electronic waste at very high temperatures in smelters. This intense combustion separates certain metals from other components. However, although this method can handle a wide range of materials, it has the disadvantage of producing gas emissions and generating toxic ash, posing a risk to the health of workers and surrounding communities.
In contrast, enim’s hydrometallurgical process was specifically designed for recycling electronic waste and enables the recovery of components often neglected by other processes, while minimizing waste generation. This process not only allows the recovery of critical, strategic, and precious metals like gold, silver, copper, and palladium, but also lead and tin, as well as other components of electronic waste, such as fiberglass. These materials, often neglected or wasted by other methods, are reintegrated into the value chain through specific techniques. For example, our process recovers organic acids, ceramics, and products segregated during treatment, such as gypsum or bromine, and reintroduces them into the market as traceable, low-carbon footprint products. enim’s circular process thus maximizes resource recovery while adopting a zero-waste approach.
Moreover, enim’s closed-loop solution is compact and can be easily installed in various environments, including urban areas. Unlike smelters, which often require heavy infrastructure and raise concerns about emissions and social acceptability, enim’s technology can seamlessly integrate into urban settings. Its regenerative hydrometallurgical process operates in a closed-loop system, allowing the solution to be continually recycled and reused, reducing metal losses and reducing the risk of toxic emissions. Finally, enim’s patented solution initiates metal recovery in just 24 hours, compared to several months in the case of delocalized pyrometallurgical plants, while ensuring traceability of the products, which is rarely the case for metals produced by smelters using mixed sources.
Result of enim’s solution: the most eco-responsible gold in the world!
enim stands out for offering the most eco-responsible gold on the market, produced through an innovative, transparent, and cost-effective approach to metal recovery. Our patented technology, based on hydrometallurgy, enables the production of these metals with a low carbon footprint while eliminating the use of toxic substances such as cyanide and mercury. But that’s not all! Our compact and modular process handles all components from electronic waste, including plastics, fiberglass, lead, and tin, reducing generated waste to nearly zero. Thanks to this circular approach, enim offers a solution that not only recovers precious metals but also reintegrates often overlooked materials, including by-products from the process, all while fully embracing a circular economy.
Our solution is characterized by:
In terms of performance, our solution far exceeds the recovery rates typically achieved by other hydrometallurgical solutions and competes favorably with smelters for gold, silver, palladium, and copper.
Finally, by establishing long-term strategic partnerships, enim is transforming the current recovery model. We combine efficiency, environmental safety, and ethics to build a cleaner, more sustainable, and prosperous electronic future. With enim, you are actively contributing to a world where metal recovery becomes a sustainable and profitable reality for all!
enim’s demonstration plant, located in Thetford Mines, has successfully validated the resilience and performance of its patented hydrometallurgical process at a commercial scale. Key results include:
This initiative, representing a CAD 15 million investment, operates within a 10,000 square foot facility in partnership with Dundee Technologies Durables and Seneca. The plant processed electronic waste from suppliers in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Europe, showcasing the technology’s adaptability to diverse raw materials.
This six-month campaign was designed to rigorously test the process under commercial conditions and has laid the groundwork for scaling up to a large commercial facility. It marks a significant milestone in Enim’s mission to become a leader in sustainable and low-impact solutions for electronic waste recovery.
The most environmentally responsible gold and copper on the market!
enim specializes in the recovery and valorization of components from Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) extracted from electronic waste. While they account for only about 3% of the total weight of electronic waste, PCBs are complex and essential elements in electronic devices. They contain a high concentration of precious and strategic materials, despite their relatively low weight.
enim’s process handles all materials extracted from PCBs within a circular model, without generating toxic by-products. This process meets the growing demand for sustainable, traceable, and environmentally friendly materials while minimizing its ecological impact.
enim’s specific products include:
enim stands out for its ability to provide exclusive, rare, and high-value products that meet the needs of industries seeking sustainable and traceable materials. Its circular model, operating in closed loops, ensures responsible management of electronic waste, reduces environmental impact, and adheres to the highest ecological and ethical standards.
enim is currently in the financing phase to support the construction of its first commercial plant, a strategic project that marks a key milestone in our mission to drive the transition to a sustainable circular economy.
The commercial plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2027. In parallel, we are actively developing long-term partnerships both upstream and downstream, while also strengthening our research and development collaborations to optimize our process.
Beyond this initial project, enim plans a rapid global expansion. We aim to deploy our modular solution in various markets to meet the growing demand for sustainable electronic waste recycling methods. By 2032, we intend to significantly transform electronic waste recycling practices while making a positive contribution to global sustainability.
Feel free to reach out and join the urban mining movement powered by enim!
enim will implement a rigorous management system aligned with internationally recognized standards, including:
Additionally, enim will comply with certifications specific to the electronics recycling industry, such as:
enim will also adhere to the strict standards of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), which sets high benchmarks for social, ethical, and environmental responsibility.
Through its patented hydrometallurgical process that avoids the use of toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury, enim guarantees a safe and sustainable approach to managing hazardous materials. Furthermore, enim is committed to partnering exclusively with certified upstream and downstream stakeholders who comply with both local and international regulations, ensuring exemplary and sustainable management
enim is fully committed to international efforts for more responsible e-waste management by offering an innovative and environmentally respectful solution for its treatment. Our solution directly contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the areas of decent work and economic growth (#8), sustainable cities and communities (#11), responsible consumption and production (#12), and climate action (#13).
In the current geopolitical context, where international laws and standards are tightening around responsible electronic waste management, enim positions itself as a leader. We acknowledge the persistent challenges, especially in some developing countries where these wastes are often handled informally, endangering the health of individuals involved, including children living in extreme poverty. To address this environmental and social scourge, international and national regulations are emerging. These cover areas such as cross-border transportation, methods of toxic material disposal, traceability, extended producer responsibility, and biodiversity preservation.
These improvements reflect a growing global awareness of the environmental and societal impact of e-waste management. ESG (environmental, social, governance) principles are embedded in enim’s DNA, placing us at the forefront of the strictest regulations in this field. We are committed to respecting and surpassing these standards, thus contributing to shaping a future where electronic waste management is ethical, sustainable, and compliant with existing international and national laws.
Additionally, our modular solution will align with the growing geopolitical and economic demand to develop local solutions for electronic waste management. In a context where countries are seeking to strengthen their independence and address local environmental challenges, enim will offer unique flexibility to deploy plants tailored to specific needs, while still adhering to global standards.
In doing so, enim plays a key role in building a future where electronic waste management is ethical, sustainable, and fully compliant with both existing national and international regulations, thus contributing to a more equitable and environmentally respectful global economy.
You have the power to shape a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future! Every action counts in reducing the environmental footprint of e-waste. Start by growing the urban mine by disposing of your devices responsibly. Support responsible recycling and revalorization by taking your obsolete devices to one of the official collection points near you. Challenge yourself to reduce your own consumption by choosing sustainable devices and extending their lifespan as much as possible. Moreover, when purchasing new devices, opt for products with a low carbon footprint.
Commit to circularity by encouraging circular economy practices and demanding environmentally friendly solutions from your suppliers. Each of your choices can shape a greener and more sustainable future for our planet!
Becoming a partner of enim places you at the heart of a revolutionary transformation in the electronic waste industry, with specific benefits for each key stakeholder group:
By joining enim, you become an active participant in a cleaner, more sustainable, and more responsible circular economy, while positioning yourself as a leader in the green metals market with a low environmental footprint. Join us in this mission for a more sustainable and prosperous electronic future for all.
enim’s solution delivers value across multiple sectors, emphasizing traceability, social acceptability, and sustainability while contributing to environmental preservation and local economic growth:
By integrating traceability, community reinvestment, and biodiversity preservation, enim positions itself as a leading enabler of a sustainable, ethical, and inclusive global economy. Its solutions address both immediate e-waste challenges and long-term resource sustainability goals.
