Recycled smartphones to be used for Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals
Gold medals from the Rio 2016 Olympic games
The project also aims to promote sustainability, unity, and green thinking. Starting in April, special containers for discarding old devices will be installed in offices and stores all around Japan.
The initiative was met with positive reactions from many athletes, including US decathlete and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton.
“An Olympic medal is one of the most coveted items in existence. People spend decades, often agonizing ones, working to obtain one. The life stories of so many are defined by the pursuit of these metal medallions, and those same stories are what inspire and bring millions of us together,” said Eaton in support of the campaign. “And now, thanks to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Medal Project not only do the athletes inspire with their stories, but each medal itself has a story of its own! The best part is that each citizen has a chance to contribute to the story, to raise awareness about a sustainable future and to make a unique contribution. And, most excitingly, they have a chance to be part of the Olympic journey.”
Things that are NOT allowed: