To provide a method for recovering silver by a dry process mainly from used photographic films.

The emulsion layers of the photographic films coated with photographic emulsions contg. silver or silver compds. in gelatin are swollen by water. The photographic emulsion layers are peeled from the films by a frictional mechanical action. The silver or silver compds. included in the photographic emulsion layers are dissolved in a soln. contg. a silver oxidizing agent and a silver dissolving agent in an oxidized state. The silver is recovered by an electrolysis method or iron wool immersing and blowing method. The electrolyte is reusable for dissolving the silver particulates of the photographic emulsion layers after the recovery of the silver by the electrolysis method. The silver included in the emulsion layers is recovered by a smelting method or is dissolved and recovered by the electrolysis method or the iron wool immersing method and is, therefore, high in a recover rate. Since the dissolving liquid of the silver may be circulated and recycled by air oxidation after the silver recovery by electrolysis, waste liquids are hardly produced and the film bases are usable as regenerated plastic raw materials. Since combustion gases are not generated as well, the method is excellent in terms of environmental protection.