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Between April 2017 and March 2019, the project mobilized the Japanese public to donate used electronics, resulting in the recovery of 32 kilograms of gold, 3,500 kilograms of silver, and 2,200 kilograms of bronze. These materials were extracted through a rigorous industrial process involving the collection, classification, and refining of components taken from millions of handsets and various household electronic items.
A Nationwide Recycling Infrastructure
The success of the project was built upon Japan’s existing Small Home Appliance Recycling Act, which had been in effect since 2013. This legal framework allowed for the systematic processing of over 100 types of battery-powered or electrical products. By leveraging this established infrastructure, the 2020 Medal Project provided a clear, time-limited objective that encouraged citizens to recycle devices that might otherwise have been discarded as ordinary waste or left unused in households.
The collection effort was divided into two primary streams. Approximately 2,300 NTT Docomo retail locations gathered 6.21 million used mobile phones, while municipal collection programs across 1,621 local governments—representing over 90 percent of Japan’s municipalities—amassed nearly 79,000 tonnes of small electronic devices, including cameras, laptops, and handheld gaming systems. The initiative also received support from 38 private companies and various government entities, ensuring a comprehensive national reach.
Technical Composition of the Medals
While the medals were marketed as gold, silver, and bronze, their chemical composition followed standard Olympic manufacturing practices. The gold medals were crafted from a pure silver base plated with more than six grams of gold, while the silver medals consisted entirely of pure silver. The bronze medals were manufactured from a copper-rich alloy. Because of these requirements, the substantial amount of silver recovered during the recycling process was essential for the production of both the gold and silver awards.
The project’s documented process moved from the initial collection phase through to the specialized dismantling and refining stages, where certified operators separated the mixed materials. By the conclusion of the two-year campaign, the recovered metals were successfully converted into the 5,000 medals awarded during the Tokyo Games, marking a notable example of large-scale
