Olympics: Tokyo 2020 asks public to donate old phones for medals

Waste not, want not: Japan's female table tennis team members (L-R) Kasumi Ishikawa, Sayaka Hirano and Ai Fukuhara pose with their 2012 London Olympic Games medals. Tokyo's olympics organising committee is aiming to collect eight tonnes of gold, silver and bronze at recycling bins across Japan to make 5,000 medals.

Tokyo Olympic organisers on Wednesday called on the Japanese public to donate old smartphones and other old electronic devices to help make medals for the 2020 Games.

In a push to give the Olympics an environmentally friendly hue, Tokyo's organising committee is aiming to collect eight tonnes of gold, silver and bronze at recycling bins across Japan from April, officials said, to make 5,000 Olympic and Paralympic medals.