Extraction of copper, gold and other elements from waste materials

A method of recovering metals from waste materials, comprising:

• metering a waste material feed stream into a first leaching circuit;
• leaching copper and other base metals from the waste material feed stream in the first leaching circuit to produce a treated waste material feed stream by using ammonia leaching;
• moving the treated waste material feed stream from the first leaching circuit to a second leaching circuit;
• and
• leaching at least one noble metal from the treated waste material feed stream in the second leaching circuit by using thiosulfate leaching wherein the method further includes (a) moving the waste material feed stream in a first direction through a first plurality of reactor vessels forming the first leaching circuit, (b) moving the first lixiviant in a second, opposite direction through the first plurality of reactor vessels forming the first leaching circuit thereby providing a countercurrent flow in the first leaching circuit, (c) moving the treated waste feed stream in a third direction through a second plurality of reactor vessels forming the second leaching circuit and (d) moving the second lixiviant in a fourth, opposite direction through the second plurality of reactor vessels forming the second leaching circuit thereby providing a countercurrent flow in the second leaching circuit.