Here's why medalists don't get flowers at Rio 2016 Olympics

Olympic medalists are traditionally presented flower bouquets as they are awarded up gold, silver or bronze medals on a podium. But this is not happening in the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Instead, the world’s best athletes are holding small 3-D sculptures of the Rio's Olympics logo, reports Mashable.

This shift from ephemeral flowers to long-lasting trinkets is a part of the Olympic organising committee’s bigger mission to limit the environmental damage from this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, a Rio 2016 spokesperson told Mashable.

Through a sustainability programme titled “Abraça” (Portuguese for “Embrace”), the committee pledged to limit the use of water, energy, food and raw materials during the 45-day spectacle.

The organising committee said it "has not only taken on this challenge, but is fully embracing the cause."

The Rio 2016 planners have vowed to use renewable energy sources like wind and hydropower, biofuels and energy-efficient equipment to supply for some of the 29,500 megawatts of electricity and 23.5 million litres of fuel estimated to be used during the Games.

The committee also projected the Olympics will result in nearly 19,000 tons of food scraps, garbage and solid waste — equal to five times the amount of solid waste that Rio de Janeiro's 6.3 million residents produce in a year, according to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme.

As part of its plan to limit waste, organisers made changes to the medal ceremonies. A total of 2,500 medallions -- 812 gold, 812 silver and 864 bronze -- are made using sustainable methods and materials.

The gold medals are made from gold extracted without the use of poisonous mercury. Silver and bronze medals were produced with 30 percent recycled materials. The colorful ribbons that hold the medals around athletes’ necks are partly made with recycled plastic bottles.

So it’s only fitting that flowers, which are unceremoniously tossed after each event, would be cut from the ceremonies, the Rio 2016 spokesperson said.

"In the interest of sustainability and innovation, it was decided that flowers would not be awarded to medal winners at this Olympic Games. The flowers awarded are usually thrown away or, even if kept, would struggle to survive in the tropical Brazilian climate."

The spokesperson, however, added that some flowers are still displayed on the stage to keep with Olympics tradition.