Tokyo’s Olympic Medals Might Be Made of Recycled iPhones

The Olympic Games are supposed to be about extraordinary athletes competing for the sake of national pride. Increasingly, however, the international spectacle has been marred by issues ranging from doping allegations to the exorbitant amount of money spent on stadiums that go to waste after the event ends . Tokyo, which is hosting the Summer Olympics in 2020, is trying to turn the tide of public opinion. And it could begin with the medals. In an effort to create a more eco-friendly event, Japan is considering reusing e-waste to create gold, silver, and bronze medals. According to a recent article in the Nikkei Asian Review , an English publication that covers Asian issues, the organizers are considering “tapping the country’s urban mine—a mass consisting of millions of discarded smartphones and other small consumer electronics.”

These electronic devices contain gold, silver, and copper—albeit in small amounts. But Japan certainly won’t have a shortage of supplies; it’s estimated that 16 percent of the world’s gold and 22 percent of the planet’s silver is currently inside the country’s tech products. The proposal could get a bit tricky, however, as silver is currently in high demand in the country. If Olympic officials decide to embark on this plan, it will continue the push for eco-friendly measures within Japan. In 2009 the government enacted a law making it mandatory to recycle such home appliances as air conditioners, TVs, personal computers, washing machines, refrigerators, and mobile phones.