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Sustainable design used at the Tokyo Olympics

The torchbearer uniforms worn for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch relay are made from recycled plastic bottles collected by Coca-Cola

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By Amy Saunders | July 20, 2021 | Innovative

Picture: Olympics.com

The creativity and sustainable design elements put into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics take innovation to a whole new level. The Tokyo Olympics 2020 has a strong focus on sustainability. Sponsor brands like Nike have used recycled materials in the production of kits and the Olympic torch was made from construction waste from the Great East Japan earthquake and 2011 tsunami.

The Tokyo Olympic Association designed the unisex Olympic torchbearer uniforms under the theme Hope lights our way. With the help of the soft drink brand Coca-Cola, the association used recycled plastic bottles to make parts of the uniform.

Designer Daisuke Obana is the design director behind the torchbearer uniform who began his career in design and fashion as a store manager and buyer. Obana established his own brand, N. HOLLYWOOD, in 2002 and has showcased his designs in Tokyo and New York.

Picture: Olympics.com

The unisex torchbearer uniform consists of a v-neck t-shirt and pants, in both long and short versions. The shirt design features the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay emblem on the front and the Olympic symbol on the back. The long pants and shorts feature a red diagonal stripe which represents the traditional sash used in Japanese relay races instead of batons. The red sash design features a chequered pattern that is known in Japan as ichimatsu moyo, a common Japanese design featuring two coloured squares or rectangles.

Picture: Olympics.com

Since the beginning of the torch relay in March 2021, the Olympic flame has been carried from Fukushima and is soon to arrive in Tokyo when the Olympic games commence on Friday the 23rd of July 2021.

You can catch all the Tokyo 2020 Olympics action on SuperSport and Showmax Pro from Friday 23 July 2021 until Sunday 8 August 2021.