Photo credits: tokyo 2020
Created by Japanese designer Junichi Kawanishi, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals were made using precious metal extracted from mobile phones and other small electronic devices donated by the public.
Kawanishi designs were selected from a nationwide competition open to both professional designers and design students.
Over 78,985 tonnes of used mobiles and electronic devices were collected, of which 6.21 million was used mobile phones. Altogether the donations yielded 32 kg of gold, 3,500 kg of silver and 2,200 kg of bronze which was used to create 5000 medals.
But what about the medal ribbon? Made from chemically recycled polyester fibres, which produce less CO2 during manufacturing, the ribbon features modern takes on traditional Japanese design motifs. Including the chequered "ichimatsu moyo" pattern and the "kasane no irome" layering technique used for kimonos to produce specific coloured patterns.
Now that's what we call turning trash into treasure.