Earth Day 2018: Recycled-Aluminum Medals Quietly Going Mainstream 🌱

Recycled-content aluminum cuts the carbon footprint of a finisher medal by about 90% versus virgin metal — and looks identical in the hand. Race directors are switching faster every season since London 2012 set the precedent.

Why the Carbon Number Is So Big

Smelting virgin aluminum from bauxite takes roughly 14 kWh per kilogram. Re-melting recycled scrap takes about 0.7 kWh. For a 50g medal at a 5,000-runner race, that gap translates to about 3 tons of CO2 avoided per event — a number worth printing on the back of the medal itself.

Anodizing Quality Is Identical

Recycled aluminum takes anodizing identically — same color depth, same wear resistance. The visible difference under a microscope is zero. The only real trade-off is supply volatility; lock your quantity early so the foundry can source matched-grade scrap for your full run.