11 Feb 2019
Tokyo 2020 medals to be made from salvaged metals from recycled electronic devices
BY Tom Walker
All medals at the Tokyo 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be made from recycled electronic devices – such as discarded mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops and other handheld devices.
The organising committee has launched a campaign for members of the public to source and collect enough recycled electronic waste by the end of March.
The gold, silver and bronze within the devices will then be extracted and used to produce the 5,000 gold, silver and bronze medals which will be handed to athletes at next summer's events.
The campaign has set a target of salvaging 30.3kg of gold, 4,100kg of silver and 2,700kg of bronze by the deadline.
"The project highlights Tokyo 2020's commitment to actively engage the general public and offer everyone the opportunity to play a role in the preparations and delivery of the Tokyo 2020 Games," the organising committee said in a statement.
"This project will be an exercise in citizen participation to manufacture medals with the help of people from across Japan."
Recycled materials have been used in Olympic medals in the past, but the Tokyo 2020 project is the first to involve citizens in the collection of consumer electronics for the purpose of manufacturing the medals.
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