[guywithaphone]

if you're going into business for recycling or refurbishing, you're probably not taking a shotgun approach and doing everything. Specialisation is key. Is your focus on gathering electronics, refurbishing, refining metals, being a middle man, etc.

Yes, there are lots of people who legally refine precious metals from electronics and make a living. There are also lots of people who are middlemen and sell it to others.

High value metals like gold are refined by LOTS of companies.

"Mining " gold from dumps could be very productive because the concentration is MUCH higher in electronics than in the most productive gold mine. Profitable Gold mines typically mine and process an average of more than 2000-4000 pound of ore to obtain one ounce of gold!

It is much more environmentally conscious (In some instances more profitable) to recycle electronics than to mine for precious metals.