Earthshot offers green pioneers the greatest prize – a medal crafted from waste sludge
IT IS hoped it will become the most coveted environmental prize in history, recognising the pioneers who may save the planet in years to come.
When the Duke of Cambridge hands out his Earthshot Prize medals at Alexandra Palace in London tomorrow, those awarded them will be thrilled that they are fully recyclable, but they may not know they are made out of sludge.
The 50 medals, inspired by the first photograph taken of the Earth from Moon orbit in 1969, are made from recycled brass sourced from fragments of the metal found in wastewater sludge.
The tiny pieces of metal – which were shed into the water from things including pipe fittings, jewellery and electric cables – were extracted by a centrifuge and recast into 50 medals by the Royal Dutch Mint.
The five medals to go to this year’s prize winners, presented in a recyclable linoleum box, are intended to “reflect the importance of reusing and recycling waste” in line with the prize’s ambition to build a waste-free world. They will be displayed together before being presented to Earthshot winners annually over the next decade.
Each bears a unique depiction of the rotation of the Earth and were designed by Christien Meindertsma who was inspired by apples: slicing one to imagine how the individual segments made up a whole.
She said she had wanted to use cuttingedge techniques and experimental material and hopes that reusing metal fragments from sludge will one day become a more economical and common.
“This was a very special assignment so I wanted to make sure it was sustainable, really researching materials, where they come from and where they go.
“With this design I would like to celebrate the preciousness of matter and the fact that we all share this matter.”
Astronaut Major General William Anders, who took the famous photograph from Apollo 8 as it circled the Moon, said: “In the more than 50 years since I took the ‘Earthrise’ photograph, I’ve been humbled by how it has inspired so many, particularly those who have dedicated themselves to preserving our shared home.
“The Earthshot Prize awards the next generation of pioneers and leaders whose ideas will help protect our fragile and incredible planet.
“Christien Meindertsma’s design is a beautiful tribute to their work and I’m proud to see the legacy of Earthrise continue.”
Earthshot, launched last year by the Duke of Cambridge, will run until 2030.