Precious Metals Awareness

Make a mental note on the following:

• Are you reading this through contact lenses?
• Have you had Lasik surgery?
• Have you shaved any part of your body this week?
• Do you ever make use of a cell phone, tablet or computer?
• Is your home insulated with fiberglass?
• Do you ever travel by plane, car or by boat?
• Have you ever taken ibuprofen?
• Do you know anyone who has a pacemaker?
• Do you know any ladies who wear pantyhose?
• Ever fertilize your garden?
• Ever use a sticky note? 

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, you have Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) to thank and at least a few creative minds somewhere in history. These are but a few of the ways that this group of elements has changed and continues to change the quality of human life around the world. It is now estimated that 25% of all consumer products contain or were made using PGMs.

Precious metals are likely among the most recycled substances on planet earth, as their value makes it worth someone’s time and effort to retrieve from whatever form they make take.

If each person reading this were to write down their top ten priorities for the Human Race, there would certainly be a bit of disagreement. It is likely, however, that the vast majority of people would have the following topics somewhere on their lists. Platinum Group Metals are at the forefront, the absolute cutting edge, of all three:

• Conservation (pollution control, wise management of natural resources): automotive catalysts and industrial filtration units that reduce emissions
• Energy (both creating energy and improving performance): fuel cells, gasoline, jet fuels, platinum-tipped spark plugs
• World Health (disease prevention and cure): cancer treatments, medical devices and pharmaceutical products that contain PGM or are made using PGMs, the man-made rubies and other gems used to create precision lasers for surgery are grown using platinum

The metals we call ‘precious’ were originally given that title based on their beauty. They are shiny and people have always liked shiny things. This made these metals highly sought after, which in turn made them valuable. They’re still considered valuable for aesthetic reasons, but as described herein, there are many much greater reasons.

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The Take-Away

Make sure your precious metals end up with a responsible recycler, root out and eliminate the unethical and the wasteful, and forge global partnerships; allow for fair margins, invest in research and development; discard perceived limitations and challenge what is ‘normal’. At Sabin, we believe that long-term wisdom and meaningful innovation is best for business, and as a result, it is what is best for the society of Mankind. If you’d like to learn more about this topic, or any of the other Sabin Metal Precious Metal bulletins, please visit us at www.sabinmetal.com.