… that the Olympic medals for Tokyo 2020 are made from recycled electronic goods like your smartphone?

Normally, the Olympic Games are not known for sustainability and climate protection. In July 2021, however, the greenest and lowest-emission Olympic Games of all time are to take place in Tokyo.

The event organisers collected about 80,000 tonnes of metal from small household appliances, such as used mobile phones, to create the 5,000 gold, silver and bronze medals. To make the medal podiums for the Games, hard-to-recycle plastic is collected from thousands of stores across the country and the ocean.

Furthermore, the organisers are aiming to ensure that 99% of the items and goods procured for the Olympics, and 65% of the waste generated from its operations, will be reused or recycled by fine waste separation. Cardboard beds and the mattresses for athletes will be fully recyclable after use.

However, a prerequisite for functioning recycling is always the correct separation of waste. This is the only way to create new products without using new resources. You can find more information on the correct waste separation here.