How to Choose the Right Eco-Friendly Medal for Your School Sports Day
School sports days are one of the highlights of the academic year. They encourage teamwork, resilience, fun and healthy competition. Increasingly, UK schools are also looking for ways to make their sports day more environmentally friendly — and one simple, meaningful change is choosing eco-friendly medals.
This guide helps you select the right sustainable medal for your school event while keeping costs low and excitement high.
1. Choose Safe, Lightweight Materials
Wooden medals are ideal for children. Wood is naturally lightweight, smooth to the touch and less prone to sharp edges or dents than metal. This makes it a safer, more child-friendly choice for Primary and Secondary events alike.
Eco-friendly wooden medals are produced from responsibly sourced timber, so they align beautifully with school values — especially for Eco-Schools, Forest Schools or those with sustainability goals.
2. Pick a Size Suitable for Children
Many schools choose medals between 65mm and 70mm.
This size offers enough room for a school logo and event message while remaining lightweight, comfortable and economical.
3. Go for a Custom Design That Represents Your School
Children love receiving medals that are bespoke to their school. Engraved wooden medals can include:
✔ School badge
✔ House logos
✔ Year group icons
✔ Event name and date
✔ Fun illustrations or mascots
✔ Custom shapes (stars, shields, animals)
Because wooden medals require no moulds, customisation is affordable and accessible — even for smaller schools.
4. Add Colour With Ribbons Instead of Plastics
To keep the medal eco-friendly we offer recycled polyester ribbon in an array of colours.
House colours are a popular choice, helping children feel part of a team.
All our ribbons are heat-sealed.
5. Order Early to Avoid Last-Minute Stress
Schools often ask: “When should we order our medals?”
We recommend:
➡ 4 weeks before your event, minimum
➡ 6–8 weeks for larger schools or multi-event days
This ensures time for artwork approval and production, especially during peak the summer term.
6. Sustainable Medals Don’t Need to Cost More
Eco-friendly options are often assumed to be more expensive, but our bespoke engraved wooden medals cost between cost from just £1.75 each depending on style and quantity.
Wooden medals offer outstanding value, especially considering they’re custom-made, UK-produced, and free from the environmental impact of metal manufacturing.
If you’re planning your 2026 sports day, explore our full range of eco-friendly medals here:
https://sustainablemedals.com/eco-medals/