2020 Tokyo Olympic medals made of recycled electronics unveiled

TOKYO — Winning athletes at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will go home with medals made from recycled consumer electronics.

The Olympic Committee unveiled the medal designs and what they're made of in Tuesday's "One Year To Go" ceremony.

A medal design from Japanese designer Junichi Kawanishi was selected from more than 400 entries. It shows the Tokyo Olympic emblem on one side with the Greek goddess of victory on the other, according to Sports Illustrated.

"The medals resemble rough stones that have been polished and which now shine, with 'light' and 'brilliance' their overall themes," the committee wrote in a statement.

Inspired by the theme "Be better, together -- for the planet and the people," the Olympic committee has resolved to make these "the most environmentally friendly and sustainable Games so far," according to a statement. The committee received metal for the medals from 1,300 educational institutions and 2,100 retail stores across Japan.

Over a collection period of two years, residents donated 78,985 tons of discarded devices. These included 6.21 million used mobile phones, along with digital cameras, handheld games and laptops. Contractors were able to extract 30.3 kg of gold, 4,100 kg of silver and 2,700 kg of bronze from all the donated devices.

The committee intends to extend the sustainability initiative to more areas of the games. The uniforms for the Olympic Torch Relay will be produced in part from recycled plastic bottles, and the victory podiums will be made from recycled household and marine plastic waste, the statement said.

Medals for the Paralympic Games will be released next month, The Washington Post reported.

Cox Media Group