Athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are to sleep on bed frames made from recyclable cardboard and mattresses formed of polyethylene materials that would be reused for plastic products after the Games.
The environmentally conscious sleeping arrangements were yesterday put on display for the media for the first time at a mock apartment in the Tokyo Games headquarters, although construction of residential sections of the Olympic and Paralympic village were completed last month.
In all, 18,000 beds will be required at the village, nestled in Tokyo Bay and in sight of the iconic Rainbow Bridge, during the Olympics, which begin on July 24.
Only 8,000 would be needed for the Paralympics.
At 2.10m long, the beds should be suitable for all but the very tallest athletes, and the manufacturer, Airweave, is confident that they can bear a weight of about 200kg, which is more than any athlete weighed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
Construction of some communal areas of the Olympic village, like the main dining hall and the village plaza, is still under way. After the Games, its apartment units are to be sold privately, with prices starting from a little more than ¥50 million (US$457,300).
Organizers have been making a concerted effort to reduce carbon emissions generated by the Games, said Junichi Fujino, an environmental researcher on the city’s task force.
All medals will be made from metal extracted from recycled consumer electronics, including about 6.2 million used mobile phones.
The Olympic torch is made from waste aluminum, and the podiums from recycled household and marine plastic waste.
Electricity for the Summer Games is to come from renewable sources.
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