How The Royal Mint in Llantrisant is turning old x-ray films into silver jewellery

The Royal Mint has begun recycling old hospital x-ray films into a collection of silver jewellery as a way to meet demand for the metal and help hospitals lower storage costs.

The official maker of British coins, which is based in Llantrisant in south Wales, will start turning the films into metal from each x-ray slide working in partnership with company Betts Metals, who will pay hospitals across the UK to receive it.

The Royal Mint hopes the new plans can help reduce its dependance on mined metal.

Sean Millard, Chief Growth Officer at The Royal Mint said:  “As part of The Royal Mint’s vision to transform for the future, our Precious Metals Recovery Business is committed to leading the development of pioneering solutions within the industry.”

After obtaining the old x-ray slides, the precious metal will be melted down to produce a new jewellery range called 886.

Films used to create x-rays in hospitals are plastic sheets coated with a thin layer of silver, which produces the scan when exposed to heat, light or pressure.

Last year The Mint also began recycling precious metals, like gold, found in everyday electronics. In Autumn 2023, that initiative will be scaled up with the launch of a multi-million-pound precious metals recovery plant. 

As well as getting money from the extracted silver, it is hoped the new initiative will save hospitals extra storage costs.

“Hospitals are storing x-ray film well beyond its retention date, which can cost a great deal of money over time", says Charlie Betts, Managing Director of The Betts Group.

"One of our main focusses is on material provenance and recycling and it’s about how we can develop those processes and that transparency within the trade, to take the process further forward.”

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