Thanks to a partnership with Racing to Zero, Canada Running Series (CRS), organizers of the Vancouver Half Marathon, teamed up with sustainable manufacturing company ChopValue to produce innovative, climate-friendly medals for this year’s Vancouver Half Kids Race.
The custom medals demonstrate how sporting events can reduce their environmental impact without compromising on quality, design, or participant experience. By rethinking a traditional event element, CRS sent a clear message to young runners and their families that sustainability can be meaningfully integrated into sport.
Each medal was produced using recycled chopsticks collected locally, giving new life to materials that would otherwise end up in landfill. Manufactured as a fully circular product, the medals embody ChopValue’s commitment to waste reduction and responsible production. To further minimize emissions, the medals were produced in Canada at ChopValue’s Vancouver microfactory, reducing transportation-related impacts.
“We were thrilled to help facilitate this work to deliver such a creative and impactful initiative,” said Oliver Scholfield, Executive Director of Racing to Zero. “These medals are a great example of how event organizers can lead by example and show participants that climate action can be both practical and inspiring.”
The Vancouver Half Kids Race medals highlight the growing opportunity for event organizers to rethink procurement decisions and embed sustainability into every aspect of event planning.
Event organizers interested in exploring similar climate-friendly solutions for their own events are encouraged to contact Racing to Zero for more information or connect directly with ChopValue using the code RACINGTOZERO.
For more information, please contact info@racingtozero.ca or visit www.racingtozero.ca.
