Bamboo Medals: A Sustainable Alternative for Sports EventsESG Reporting, GHG Emissions, and PCF Assessments
Medalab, established in 2014, is one of Malaysia’s leading custom medal suppliers. They design and produce medals for marathons, school events, corporate programs, and government agencies, combining affordability with high-quality craftsmanship.
To strengthen their sustainability efforts, Medalab partnered with SuSciCo Sdn. Bhd. to evaluate the environmental performance of bamboo medals compared to traditional zinc alloy medals. The aim was to provide reliable evidence for event organizers seeking medals that align with ESG and green procurement goals.
challenge
Every year, sporting and corporate events award thousands of medals. Most are made from zinc alloy. While recyclable, these medals carry a heavy production footprint that is often overlooked. Medalab commissioned SuSciCo to prepare a Comparative Environmental Assessment Report comparing bamboo medals with zinc alloy medals. While the goal was straightforward, the project was not easy.
The challenge was to generate a fair, transparent, and science-based comparison that clients could rely on for ESG reporting and sustainable procurement. Key difficulties included:
-
Life cycle data for bamboo and zinc coming from different studies with inconsistent assumptions.
-
Defining system boundaries so that shared components like ribbons and packaging did not distort results.
-
Modeling end-of-life impacts, since published data assumed 100% zinc recycling—much higher than real-world practice.
-
Limited bamboo data in existing life cycle databases, risking understatement of bamboo’s benefits such as renewability and carbon storage.
-
Ensuring the findings were credible enough for ESG disclosure, despite the indicative nature of the assessment.
solution
SuSciCo applied its ESG and life cycle assessment expertise to design a transparent study.
-
Methodology: cradle-to-grave analysis, for raw material extraction to end-of-life.
-
Functional Unit: one medal, with results scaled up to a batch of 4,000 units.
-
Data Sources: peer-reviewed studies on bamboo and zinc, combined with end of life modeling.
-
Impact Categories: greenhouse gas emissions, human health, climate change, and ecosystem quality.
In addition, SuSciCo clearly noted study limitations, such as the assumption of 100% zinc recycling and the exclusion of minor manufacturing impacts. This ensured results were robust yet transparent for ESG reporting and decision-making.
results
The Comparative Environmental Assessment Report provided Medalab with clear, evidence-based insights:
-
Bamboo medals had around 7× lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to zinc medals.
-
Across broader environmental categories, bamboo medals had hundreds of times lower impacts.
-
Even with full recycling, zinc remained more damaging than bamboo.
-
Bamboo offered additional benefits such as renewable origin, biogenic carbon storage, and lightweight disposal with minimal environmental burden.
These results gave Sports Events House the confidence to position bamboo medals as the sustainable choice for future events.
A Path to Sustainable Procurement
The Comparative Environmental Assessment Report demonstrates that bamboo medals are the environmentally preferable choice over zinc alloy medals.
-
They reduce greenhouse gas emissions by seven times at production.
-
They outperform zinc across all key environmental categories.
-
They align directly with sustainable procurement and ESG reporting goals.
By combining rigorous analysis with clear communication, SuSciCo helped Medalab and Sports Events House lead the way in eco-friendly recognition materials.
Bamboo medals are not only a symbol of sporting achievement — they are also a symbol of environmental responsibility.
Looking for science-based insights to support your sustainable procurement strategy? Contact SuSciCo to learn how we can help.
how can we help you?
Ready to align profitability with impactful ESG strategies? Contact us today to discuss how we can help your business thrive sustainably.
SuSciCo conducted the Life Cycle Assessment in a smooth and efficient manner, making the entire process clear and straightforward for us. The final report was highly informative and provided valuable insights for our work. We truly appreciated their responsiveness, professionalism, and commitment to delivering quality results.
At Zero Waste Earth Store we are incredibly grateful for the exceptional GHG reporting services provided by SuSciCo. Their expertise and dedication played a crucial role in the promotion of our successful recycling campaign. Their accurate measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions allowed us to showcase the significant environmental impact of our recycling efforts. Professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to sustainability made SuSciCo an invaluable partner in our mission. I highly recommend their services to any organization seeking to make a positive environmental difference. Thank you, Ildar Usmanov, for your outstanding support!
