The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will not only be the most expensive Olympics event but also the greenest. Based on the Games’ sustainability concept of ‘Be better, together - For the planet and the people’, a series of green initiatives has been incorporated across the board from the beginning. Recycled materials have been heavily used to produce various items with an aim to further recycle and reuse them after the event.
For example, recycled plastic bottles collected by Coca-Cola were used to create the unisex torchbearer uniforms for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Medals to be awarded at the Games are made using recycled precious metals recovered from mobile phones and other electronic devices donated by the public.
The podiums are made of plastic from discarded shampoo bottles and other plastic recovered from the ocean. The podiums will be recycled back into packaging and also repurposed for educational purposes. Uniforms for staff and volunteers include sustainable materials sourced from recycled polyester and plants.
The Olympic torch has been produced using aluminium waste from temporary housing that was built in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Plaza at the Olympic Village is built with sustainably-sourced timber donated by local authorities across Japan. After the Games, the timber will be repurposed into public benches or used as part of public buildings.
Cardboard beds in the Village will be recycled into paper products while mattresses will be recycled into plastic items.
Electricity used during the Olympic Games will be supplied by renewable sources, such as solar, biomass and hydropower.
