Computer giant Dell is launching an industry first pilot to use recycled gold from used electronics in new computer motherboards – which it will ship in a convertible laptop in the spring.

The types of waste electronics Dell will harvest from includes end-of-life refrigerators, TVs, solar panels, mobile phones, and computers. In 2016 the world generated e-waste equal in weight to almost 4,500 Eiffel Towers, or 1.23m fully loaded 18-wheel 40-ton trucks - enough to form a line 28,160 km long, the distance from New York to Bangkok and back.

Dell is also launching a collaboration with actress Nikki Reed – best known for her role as Rosalie in Twilight –on a limited edition jewellery collection, The Circular Collection by Bayou with Love, which is sourced from gold recovered from Dell's recycling programmes.

According to a Trucost study, the gold reclamation process created by Dell environmental partner Wistron GreenTech has a 99% lower environmental impact than traditionally mined gold. Since 2012, Dell has recycled more than 50 million pounds of post-consumer recycled materials into new products. Dell's Legacy of Good Program pledges to recycle 100 million pounds of recycled content into its product portfolio by 2020