Why we do not use 'recycled gold'

The term "recycled gold" seems appealing: clean, circular, sustainable.
But at AguaDeOro, we believe it's time to take a closer look. Because when something seems too good to be true, it often hides a reality we prefer not to see.

Let's start with the basics:

• Gold has always been recycled.
• Even the Egyptians melted and reworked gold over 4,000 years ago.
• Gold is never thrown away; its intrinsic value means it is passed on, reused, and remelted.
• Presenting "recycled gold" today as a sustainable innovation is therefore, in many cases, more marketing than real impact.

In an ideal world, we could trace the origin of recycled gold to responsible sources, such as phones, computers, batteries, or other modern waste.
But to our knowledge, no company today exclusively recycles gold from these specific sources with complete traceability.

The real problem: the lack of transparency

In practice, the majority of refineries mix gold from very diverse sources — including unknown or unverified sources.
Once melted, the origin disappears.
This allows illegally mined gold or gold that has been illicitly introduced into the market to enter the supply chain, hidden behind the reassuring label of "recycled."

That’s why we say:
When you hear that a brand uses only recycled gold, think twice.
Without an independent and transparent traceability system, “recycled” can become a smokescreen that hides the reality, rather than a solution that transforms it.

Our choice: Fairtrade gold

At AguaDeOro, we choose Fairtrade gold because it guarantees:

• A traceable origin, sourced from artisanal mining communities
• Decent working conditions and the absence of child labor
• Strict environmental standards to limit negative impacts
• A Fairtrade premium reinvested in education, health, and local development.