Gold from gadgets? How Olympic medals will all be made from discarded mobile phones at Tokyo 2020 summer games
From six million phones to 5,000 medals – all that glittering gold, silver and bronze was sourced from discarded electronics
From the trash heap to the trophy cabinet every single medal presented at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics will be made from more than six million thrown-away mobile phones, and other discarded electronic devices.
About 5,000 gold, silver and bronze Olympic and Paralympic medals will be crafted from the ditched devices, which have all been donated by the Japanese public.
Close to 80,000 tons of mobile phones and small electronic devices have been collected over the past two years, as part of the Tokyo 2020 Medal Project, providing the more than 5,000kg of precious metals needed to craft every medal.
The initiative’s official website reports that the electronic junk collected over the past two years was all donated by the public, and included more than six million mobile phones.
It makes me want to strive for a medal myself
The discarded electronics have been the source of all the precious metals required for making the medals, which include gold, silver and bronze, along with copper and zinc.
According to reports, around 32kg (71 pounds) of gold, 3,490kg (7,700 pounds) of silver and 2,120kg (4,850 pounds) of bronze were extracted from the donated gadgets, amounting to 100 per cent of the metals that are needed to make the shiny awards.
The Tokyo 2020 Medal Project is an initiative of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.