Trash yields millions for defense department.

• Author: Williams, Robert H.
• Position: TECH TALK - Brief article

THE PENTAGON'S PRECIOUS METALS recovery program is salvaging significant quantities of gold, silver, platinum and palladium from old computers, sparkplugs, film; batteries and cast off electronics.

In fiscal year 2005 alone, more than $8 million on precious metals were reclaimed and during the past 30 years, $250 million has been recaptured.

A spokesman for the Defense Reutilization and...