What’s in a Tokyo 2020 medal? Old phones, discarded cameras

FILE – In this April 1, 2017, file photo, gold tablets of 3 grams, left, which is able to be recycled from 100 mobile phones, are shown as the example in Tokyo. Tokyo Olympic organizers said in a statement Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, they expect to collect enough obsolete electronic devices by the end of March to reach the amount that will be required to manufacture all Olympic and Paralympic medals. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

TOKYO— Tokyo Olympic organizers say they expect to collect enough obsolete electronic devices by the end of March to reach the amount that will be required to manufacture all Olympic and Paralympic medals.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics open in just over 500 days and all medals will be made from discarded smartphones, digital cameras, and other handheld games and laptops.

In a statement Friday, organizers said targeted amounts of bronze, silver, and gold will be extracted from the discarded devices with quotas expected to be reached by March 31.

The design of the Tokyo medals will be unveiled later this year.