Climate change and sustainability has long been a priority for the Olympics in general, but it’s never been more prevalent. The Paris 2024 Olympics has pledged to do markedly better when it comes to the environment in comparison to the London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Olympics. So how did waste management at the Paris 2024 Olympics measure up, all in all? In this article, we’ll be looking at their sustainability targets, together with what a truly sustainable Olympics could look like in the future.

Sustainability at the Paris 2024 Olympics: a review

When it comes to looking at sustainability efforts at the Paris 2024 Olympics, there were a few successes that they managed to pull off. They had pledged to make the fight against climate change a priority when it came to hosting the Olympic games.

They put as many measures in place as possible to help reduce the carbon footprints of the athletes, spectators, staff, organisers, volunteers and the media. Therefore making it a compulsory commitment for the entire Olympic and Paralympic community.

These targets are an exceptional step forward in the move towards a sustainable Olympic games, with more of a focus on tackling food and plastic waste throughout the Olympic village. According to the International Olympics Committee, those targets included the following things:

To halve the average carbon footprint of 13 million meals served over the source of four weeks
To cut single-use plastic consumption by half
To have 80% of products sourced as locally as possible, or at least within the country of France
To reuse all catering equipment
To target a 50% reduction in carbon emissions compared to London 2012 and Rio 2016
To avoid generating carbon emissions thanks to an innovative energy model
To use 100% renewable energy during the games
To analyse and reduce the game’s impact on biodiversity
To reuse as many existing venues as possible or to erect temporary ones
To encourage shared use of interior design aspects, including venues, tents, chairs computers and sports equipment
To construction seats in venues and arenas that are made from recycled plastic
Renting as many pieces of sports equipment as possible
To ensure 90% of the six million assets will be taken back and reused by partners

Greenwashing at the Paris 2024 Olympic games: what does it mean?

However, despite there being a wide range of different environmental and sustainable targets that the Paris 2024 Olympics are looking to hit, there seems to be some greenwashing trends appearing in place of genuine efforts to rescue plastic and food waste. You might first be wondering what Greenwashing is.

According to Investopedia, ‘greenwashing’ is “the act of providing the public or investors with misleading or outright false information about the environmental impact of a company’s products and operations”. In this context, it begs the question of whether the Paris 2024 Olympics have made a few promises that they may not be able to keep when it comes to sustainability at the games.

How was the Olympic committee going to reduce single-use plastic at the 2024 games?

One example of this would be the Paris 2024 Olympic games stating that they had an aim to reduce the amount of single-use plastic consumption by half when compared to the London 2012 Olympics, claims the International Olympic Committee. The ways in which they were looking to do this included the following things:

Offering a 2-Euro deposit for reusable cups that could be used and refilled at soda fountains and water stations
Prohibiting the use of single-use plastic bottles at sites such as the Concorde, Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower
Allowing attendees to bring reusable water bottles to a selected amount of events

However, despite making the pledge, Coca-Cola had issues when it came to installing hundreds of soda fountains. A such, many establishments were simply taking beverages from single-use bottles and pouring them into reusable cups. This therefore defeated the object of the reusable cups altogether, states the Mexico Business News.

Another greenwashing claim at the 2024 Olympics was the statement that chairs in venues will be made from recycled plastic. Where this might be true, the process of making recycled plastic chairs is far from eco-friendly. The very process of recycling plastic generates microplastic pollution. Therefore, chemicals are released into the atmosphere, thus adding to greenhouse gas emissions, claims Plastic Pollution Coalition. But what would have the Olympics looked like if they had managed to meet all of their sustainable targets? Let’s explore that further.

What would a truly sustainable Olympics look like?

So the Paris 2024 Olympic games wasn’t wholly sustainable, but sporting events in general are awash with plastic. It’s still blue-sky thinking to believe that any Olympic games can be completely eco-friendly and plastic-free. But that doesn’t mean that steps aren’t being taken to try and make sustainable games more likely.

For instance, the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo are among the top global plastic polluters, claims Break Free from Plastic. As such, a petition was started and signed by more than one hundred Olympians across the globe that called on Coca-Cola and Pepsi to adopt reuse as a global standard for their products rather than placing a focus on recycling.

The same letter cited research done by Oceana which found that just a 10% increase in reusable bottles and cups by 2030 would eradicate more than one trillion single-use bottles and cups from the production line. So the solution to the problem lies right there – at the start of the plastic-making process.

But the plastic issue doesn’t end there. We also have microplastics and chemicals to worry about, many of which are expelled from things like uniforms and sportswear. So how can we have a completely plastic-free Olympics and what will that look like going forward? As already mentioned, we could see a 10% reduction in plastic being produced from the offset. But what else can be done?

How can the Olympics benefit from being more sustainable?

There are many benefits to be had by avoiding the use of plastic products, claims the BBC. Their article claims that instead of looking at plastic and other artificial material production, we could start using plants and trees as a way of making new items from scratch. Not only is it renewable, but it’s also easily compostable. There are also other benefits to having an Olympics that is plastic-free, states Plastic Free. They believe that living in a plastic-free world could benefit the Olympics in the following ways:

It reduces the likelihood of stress and pressure on organisers

It will decrease the amount of waste and litter

It shows that the Olympics are committed to the environment

It minimises the amount of clutter in and around venues

It eradicates the dilemma of plastic recycling, which is considered to be the solution to our plastic pollution problem, according to the Innovation News Network

With all of that being said, it’s clear that the International Olympic Committee are showing their dedication and intention to fighting the issue of plastic pollution at the games, as well as general waste management.

The Plastic Game Plan: what does it involve?

According to the International Olympic Committee, there’s a Plastic Game Plan in place to enable sporting organisations to tackle issues of plastic pollution. The recommendations outlined in the plan include things like:

Introducing reusable or compostable cups and tableware at events
Providing water refill stations
Having recycling bins dotted in many locations
Reducing the use of ‘hidden plastic’, which refers to plastic found in merchandise, branding, ticketing and signage
Encourages event organisers to leverage their reach when it comes to plastic pollution awareness

While we’re still a long way off from being completely sustainable when it comes to hosting the Olympic games and commercial waste management, it doesn’t stop us from thinking about, and aspiring to, Olympic games that are truly environmentally-friendly, from start to finish. While we still have a long way to go, it’s not an impossible task in this modern age.

Willshee’s is pleased to offer a wealth of waste management services, including commercial waste management, domestic waste management, skip hire, hazardous waste disposal and more. If you would like further information about how we can help you today, get in touch with a member of our friendly, knowledgeable team – we’re always happy to hear from you.

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