The Paris 2024 Olympics are poised to set a new benchmark in sustainability, featuring innovative uses of recycled materials like bottle tops and shuttlecocks in furniture design, as part of a broader initiative to halve the carbon footprint of previous Games.
It’s also setting new standards in sustainability, with a focus on reducing the event’s carbon footprint to half that of previous Games, such as London 2012 and Rio 2016.
London 2012 saw an estimated 3.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions, while Rio 2016 had an estimated footprint of 3.6 million tonnes. Paris aims to significantly lower these numbers, emphasizing eco-friendly practices throughout the event.
In a city renowned for its commitment to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, the 2024 Olympics will feature innovative uses of recycled materials. The organisers have announced various initiatives to enhance sustainability, including furniture crafted from shuttlecocks, bottle tops, and parachute canvas, alongside plant-based menu options for athletes and visitors.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, highlighted the critical importance of addressing climate change.
Climate change is an extremely serious threat, not only for sport but for all our lives. That’s why, through our Olympic agenda reforms, we’ve committed to reducing our environmental impact
He stated, “Climate change is an extremely serious threat, not only for sport but for all our lives. That’s why, through our Olympic agenda reforms, we’ve committed to reducing our environmental impact.”
Unlike previous Olympic Games, Paris 2024 will utilise existing stadiums, minimising the need for new construction. Only two new venues are planned: an aquatics centre and an arena for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics, both constructed using low-carbon methods. The aquatics centre, in particular, will feature seating made from recycled local plastic waste and incorporate wood throughout its design.
Continuing the trend of innovative sustainable solutions, the athletes’ village will include beds made from recycled cardboard (see main picture), a design first introduced at Tokyo 2020.
Despite initial rumours about the beds’ durability, they have proven to be robust and will return for Paris 2024.
Olympic athletes including British diver Tom Daley have been putting the cardboard beds in the athletes’ village in Paris to the test. The athlete gave fans a preview tour of the cardboard, mattress and mattress topper construction, before hopping up and down on the bed and saying: “As you can see, they’re pretty sturdy!”
Paris 2024 promises to be a landmark in sustainable event management, showcasing how large-scale sporting events can lead in reducing environmental impact.