According to Inhabitat, Japan is aiming to make their Olympic medals from recycled smartphones.
Unwanted electronics are a rich resource of precious metals: Many use elements struck from gold, silver, and copper. Nikkei Asian Review reports that in Japan, it’s estimated that about 315 pounds of gold was thrown in the trash in 2014, far exceeding the 21 pounds of gold used in the medals for the 2012 London Games.
via Mental Floss
