The Olympic Medal: Rio 2016
Rio 2016 reveals Olympic medals, celebrating nature and sustainability The medals feature images of Nike, the Panathinaiko Stadium and the Acropolis (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro Nearly 2,500 gold, silver and bronze medals produced according to strict sustainability criteria. Bearing a design that celebrates the relationship between the strengths of Olympic heroes and the forces of nature, the 500g gold, silver and bronze medals have been made with sustainability at their heart. The athletes who top the podium in Rio will receive medals made from gold that has been extracted without the use of mercury and which was produced according to strict sustainability criteria, from the initial mining all the way through to the design of the end product. The silver and bronze medals have been produced using 30 per cent recycled materials. Half of the plastic in the ribbons which will be used to hang the medals around athletes’ necks comes from recycled plastic bottles. The...