Most consumers don't know where the gold in their products comes from, or how it is mined. Gold mining is a dirty industry: it can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers, and destroy pristine environments.

The production of one gold ring generates 20 TONS of mine waste.

Gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, and endangers the health of people and ecosystems. The production of a single wedding ring generates 20 tons of mine waste.

Gold mining can also displace communities, supplant traditional livelihoods, and endanger nature preserves.

The No Dirty Gold Campaign provides students with a unique opportunity to become part of the global movement for responsible gold mining.


A gift of gold often symbolizes love, commitment, romance, and friendship. Yet, gold mining is one of the most destructive activities in the world, and has been linked to grievous environmental, social justice, and human rights violations. The severity of the environmental and social problems associated with gold production has generated an interest in finding alternatives to gold produced using harmful practices. This interest comes not only from environmental, human rights and social justice groups, but also from jewelry retail firms, electronics producers, and individual consumers.

Over 10,000 individuals from countries around the world have already signed the No Dirty Gold pledge asking retailers to work to ensure that the gold in their products was not produced at the expense of local communities, workers, and the environment. These conscious consumers don't want their glittering purchases to be tarnished by gold mining that pollutes water, destroys communities, fuels conflicts, or threatens wildlife and natural areas. They are calling on jewelry and electronics retailers such as you to insist that the gold you are buying and selling is responsibly produced.

You can learn more about the destructive impacts of gold mining by reading the report Dirty Metals: Mining, Communities, and the Environment and reading profiles of communities around the world affected by gold mining operations.

No Dirty Gold is an international campaign working to ensure that gold mining operations respect human rights and the environment. Because the vast majority of the gold that is mined is used to make jewelry, we are seeking the help of jewelry retailers to clean up dirty gold mining and preserve gold's reputation.

We believe that jewelry retailers have a powerful role to play in helping to clean up the way gold is mined. Most retailers may not realize it but there is a powerful and direct link between the gold mining industry and the jewelry business. Because the gold mining industry is dependant on jewelry sales, retailers are in a unique position to drive change in the mining industry.

Combating dirty gold is not just a public relations exercise. It is the ethical thing to do, and also a sound business decision--one that your customers will thank you for.

You can find a more comprehensive list of articles about the No Dirty Gold campaign and our latest press releases in the Media section of the No Dirty Gold site.

To contact the No Dirty Gold campaign:

No Dirty Gold
1612 K Street, NW, Suite 808
Washington DC 20006
USA

Telephone: (+1) 202-887-1872 ext 210
Fax: (+1) 202-887-1875
Email: retailers@nodirtygold.org.