Plastic podiums, recycled medals, cardboard beds: sustainability at Tokyo 2020

FILE PHOTO: Recyclable cardboard beds and mattresses for athletes are pictured during a media tour at the Olympic and Paralympic Village for the Tokyo 2020 Games, in Tokyo, Japan June 20, 2021. Akio Kon/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has put a spotlight on sustainability at the 2020 Olympic Games, with athletes standing on podiums made of recycled plastics to receive medals crafted from recycled small electronics before sleeping on beds made of cardboard.

Electric cars ferry competitors and media between venues, many of which are temporary constructions made of recycled wood that will be dismantled after the Games, preventing the white elephant stadiums left behind in other host cities.