Electronics recycling plant for Jyväskylä enters environmental permit phase

Plans for a new electronics recycling plant in Jyväskylä have reached the environmental permit stage, according to a filing submitted on Thursday.

The facility, proposed by Zero Mine Oy, would recover precious metals such as gold, silver, copper and palladium from discarded circuit boards, with later phases targeting rare earth metals like neodymium. The technology has been developed over more than 15 years at the University of Jyväskylä.

Zero Mine’s environmental permit application initiates official review under Finnish environmental protection law. The permit authority will assess whether the operation meets legal requirements before deciding on approval.

If the process proceeds as planned, the company has previously indicated that commercial operations could begin around 2030, following a pilot phase. The plant is estimated to require an initial investment of €40–50 million. Zero Mine Oy is partly owned by Alva, the energy company of the City of Jyväskylä.