Ahead of 2020’s Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan will be asking members of the public to donate old phones and appliances, as it works to pull together enough material for the 5,000 bronze, silver and gold metals that will be handed out at the games.
All in all, the committee is looking to collect up nearly eight tons of metal for the Olympic and Paralympic games. The move is part of a push toward sustainability for the games, pulled together in accordance with Recommendation 4 of Olympic Agenda 2020, issued in 2014, which seeks to,
Develop a sustainability strategy to enable potential and actual Olympic Games organisers to integrate and implement sustainability measures that encompass economic, social and environmental spheres in all stages of their project.
Japan’s Olympic Committee will begin placing collection boxes in offices and telecommunication stores starting in April of this year to begin collecting the massive amount of component metals.
The drive is the first of many attempting to better incorporate sustainable living into future Olympic games. In the meantime, it may be the perfect opportunity to unburden yourself of one of these.