Tokyo 2020 podiums made entirely of recycled plastic
VIDEO: Get a behind-the-scenes look at The Podium Project
When athletes receive their medals at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer, they’ll be standing on podiums made of recycled plastic collected from citizens throughout Japan.
Leading up to the Olympic Games, P&G, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the International Olympic Committee joined forces to establish the Podium Project, committing that all the podiums for Tokyo 2020 would be made from recycled plastic materials — for the first time in history.
Japanese Public Contributes
People from all over Japan were invited to bring their used plastic containers to collections boxes around the country.
We partnered with a retailer in Japan to place boxes in over 2,000 locations. And we encouraged children to get involved by bringing collection boxes to over 100 schools, as part of a program designed to educate about responsible consumption and recycling. Even recovered ocean plastic was included as part of the collection efforts.
The amount of recycled plastic collected: 24.5 tons— the equivalent of about 400,000 bottles of laundry detergent.
Cutting Edge Technology Employed
Collected materials were sorted and taken to a facility where they were converted into raw plastic. Making the components for the podiums involved the latest technology – including 3D printing. Even the Olympic and Paralympic symbols on the front of the podiums were made from repurposed materials: recycled aluminum waste from temporary housing constructed after the 2011 earthquake in Japan.
You can watch this video to see how the process came to life.
Small Actions Make an Impact
The Podium Project demonstrates how small actions by individuals can make a world of difference. We hope the Podium Project will help inspire people to care for the planet — now and for generations to come.
Here are 10 easy ways to be more sustainable at home. Plus, you can help Planet KIND by Gillette + Plastic Bank® in their efforts to prevent plastic bottles from entering the ocean by engaging on P&G Good Everyday and selecting this as your cause. Learn more.