Now that the Rio Olympics have ended, we have four years to wait to find out whether Usain Bolt is really done competing in Olympic events, whether Simone Biles will be as impressive at age 23 as she has been at age 19, and if there’s any chance Michael Phelps will still be going for gold at age 35.
But whoever wins gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, there’s a chance they’ll be taking home a medal made from discarded electronics.
According to Nikkei, organizers of the Tokyo Olympics want to use e-waste to manufacturer the medals that will be awarded at the 2020 games.
Gadgets like smartphones are typically made from materials including glass, plastic, and aluminum and other medals. But there’s also a small amount of precious metals such as gold used in some consumer electronics components.
Japan doesn’t have much of a mining industry, but there are a lot of gadgets in the country, which could present a source of the gold, silver, and copper needed to make the medals for the 2020 Olympics.
Not only would the move let organizer use local metals, but it could also raise awareness of the potential (and need) for e-waste reclamation and recycling programs in Japan and around the world.
via The Verge
