We’ve all heard it on the radio or seen it on TV: “Sell your gold for cash, fast!” This phrase makes people leery of the gold buying industry and reinforces the misconception that the gold buying interest is simply the pursuit of profit and ripping people off. But with the environmental consequences of mining virgin gold and other precious metals, a closer look shows that the gold buying industry is not entirely built upon profit and actually provides an eco-alternative to mining. Mining Pollution When you sell back your gold, you are essentially selling it back to be reused or recycled. With the gold that you sell back, the gold industry now has gold to work with and can skip the harmful step of mining from the Earth and disrupting ecosystems and natural habitats. The mining industry does have sustainability standards that evaluate the availability of resources, pollution, and effect on community, but the fact is that regardless of standards set in place, any time the Earth is mined for its good it is harmful to both the planet and the air.