Tokyo 2020 achieves metal collection target for Olympic medals

The Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics next year will have all the 5,000 medals created from the recycled medals. Tokyo 2020, the organising committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, has confirmed that it has achieved its targets to collect precious material to produce the medals for next year’s Games.

Athletes who have podium finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics next year will all be awarded the first sustainable medals ever to be produced in Olympic history!

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, having reached its target of collecting precious metal to manufacture the Games medals, has thanked the generous supporters from communities across Japan.

Five thousand Tokyo 2020 medals are expected to be produced for next year’s Games — all manufactured from gold, silver and bronze collected from recycled mobile phones and other small electronic devices donated by the public.

Engaging communities

The upcoming Olympic and Paralympic medals are the result of a huge community effort. The campaign to collect recycled precious metal had garnered overwhelming response since it started — from local communities to Tokyo 2020 partners — supporting the nationwide collection.

This initiative — the first of its kind in the Olympic and Paralympic Games — will help people across Japan and the rest of the world share in the success of the world’s top athletes.

From the sports side, a number of athletes from Japan and overseas called for action and donated their own used devices. A total of 1,621 local authorities — 46 prefectural governments and 1,575 municipal governments — supported the initiative, representing more than 90% of the local authorities in Japan.

Tokyo 2020 Sustainability vision: Be Better Together

As part of Games legacy, Tokyo 2020 will continue its campaign for recycling and circular economy goals by calling on the same groups of people and organisations to support its sustainability initiatives.

The metals to be recovered are planned to be re-used for community purposes, including creation of medals for local sports events across Japan.

Tokyo 2020 is also planning to recycle household plastic waste and marine plastic waste and use them in the creation of podiums for medal ceremonies. Moreover, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay uniforms will be produced in part using recycled plastic bottles.