A public benefit company based in Washington known as Regeneration is on a mission to clean up land and waterways in the Yukon, British Columbia, and Alaska while also generating profits. The innovative project utilizes advanced technology to extract metals from waste material at abandoned mine sites.
Regeneration has formed partnerships with prominent companies such as Apple, Tiffany and Co., and Canadian jewelry brand Mejuri. These partners have committed to purchasing metals extracted from legacy mine sites and providing financial support for restoration initiatives. The project was initiated over a decade ago, focusing on addressing the environmental impact of placer mining activities in the North that have resulted in significant sediment and waste rock accumulation in streams and rivers.
According to CEO Stephen D’Esposito, jewelry and technology companies are increasingly conscious of environmental challenges within the mining sector and are eager to contribute to solutions. The company proposed the idea of reprocessing waste at old mining sites to recover gold and restore the environment, receiving positive responses from Tiffany and Apple.
The primary goal of the project is to not only recover remaining gold from waste but also to rejuvenate streams and reintroduce vegetation to create a habitat suitable for species like salmon and grayling. The project has garnered significant interest from companies like Mejuri, which view it as an opportunity to align with their sustainability objectives and offer customers ethically sourced jewelry.
Regeneration’s initiative involves collaborating with refineries capable of processing small batches of gold separately to ensure a fully traceable product. The project has resulted in the introduction of “Salmon Gold” jewelry by Mejuri, with a new collection released in October last year.
Initially launched as a non-profit venture by NGO Resolve, Regeneration evolved into a startup in 2021 with ambitious goals to address abandoned and polluting mines across Canada. D’Esposito highlighted the financial potential in waste cleanup, emphasizing the company’s commitment to demonstrating the profitability of environmental restoration projects.
The company’s approach involves utilizing modern technology to re-mine toxic waste at old sites, aiming to both recover valuable metals and remediate environmental damage. Regeneration’s efforts have extended to locations like Hedley, B.C., where they are actively engaged in tailings cleanup, and ongoing discussions with First Nations and the federal government in the Yukon for additional projects.
While questions persist about the long-term sustainability of restored sites, particularly in placer mining areas prone to repeat exploitation, stakeholders like Sebastian Jones from the Yukon Conservation Society commend Regeneration for its innovative and proactive approach to addressing longstanding environmental challenges.