“The Climate” Coin

The “Climate” coin calls for the reduction, recycling, and reuse of waste, drawing attention to the weight of climate change. It is a silver coin with the colors yellow, green, and blue, made of recycled plastic, in the center, reminding us that our climate action can start at home by separating waste for later delivery to the appropriate recycling bins.

This coin resulted from the collective effort of school students in the municipality of Guarda who collected plastic waste, which was later used to mint 6000 coins. The colored discs in the center of this 3-centimeter coin symbolize each of the three main colors of the eco points and are a polymer adapted to be integrated into the metal at the time of minting. Out of 582 proposals for the coin design, 1st prize was awarded to Tiago Ferreira, a 6th-year student at Escola Carolina Beatriz Ângelo.

The composition and injection processes of the mixed plastic discs into the coins were carried out at PIEP – Centre for Innovation in Polymer Engineering – which is part of the INCM Innovation Network. The materials were supplied by Extruplás – Reciclagem, Recuperação e Fabrico de Produtos Plásticos, lda.