25 May 2020
STEAM around us: Tokyo 2020
Jasmine
Behind the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals

Normally, the 2020 summer Tokyo Olympics would be starting in about a month, but due to the current world event, the 2020 Olympics have been pushed back to 2021. Even if this worldwide event is not until next year, we can still talk about the innovation that went behind the creation of their medals!

Between April 2017 and March 2019, the Tokyo Olympic Committee launch the “Tokyo 2020 Medal Project” to collect small electronic devices that would be used to create the Olympic and Paralympic medals. With 90% of the Japanese municipalities participating, the project collected over 78,985 tons of small electronics devices including mobile phones. The final amount of gold, silver and bronze extracted was respectively, 32 kg, 3,500 kg and 2,200 kg. Making the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals 100% recycled.