The medalists aren’t the only ones being showcased this summer at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics; the medals themselves are as well. Medals awarded to winners in the Summer Olympics this year are constructed of recycled electrical gadgets.
Electronic Recycling Produces Medals
Approximately 78,985 tons of discarded devices were gathered, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This comprises around 6.21 million cell phones, as well as digital cameras, handheld games, and laptops, which were all categorized, taken apart, and melted down by highly experienced contractors.
It was all part of the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project, which began collecting medals in 2017. Across Japan, 1,300 educational institutions and 2,100 electronics retail establishments donated and supported the project. According to the IOC, donation boxes were strategically positioned throughout Japan for local donations.
According to technology newspaper ZME Science, up to 90% of Japanese cities, towns, and villages participated by setting up donation collection stations where individuals could donate their old electronic gadgets.
The Tokyo 2020 Medal Project acquired 70 pounds of gold, 7,700 pounds of silver, and 4,850 pounds of bronze through the program. The gold alone extracted from the project is worth $2 million.
This isn’t the first time repurposed materials have been used to create Olympic medals. According to the IOC, bronze and silver medals for the 2016 Rio Olympics were created from 30 percent recycled materials, and medals for the 2019 Winter Olympics were likewise made from recycled materials.
Green Efforts by Olympic Committee
The use of recycled electronics for the medals at the Tokyo Olympics is just one example of how the event’s organizers have attempted to reduce their environmental impact. Other environmentally friendly practices include:
- Toyota’s self-driving electric cars will be used to shuttle athletes around the Olympic Village.
- Athletes’ sleeping accommodations are made of lightweight recyclable cardboard beds made by the Japanese business Airweave.
- For the Olympic torches, recycled building debris from temporary housing created in the aftermath of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 was used.
- Mattresses that may be recycled after use.
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