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Road races, Olympic competition venues, certificates; Paris is innovating to ensure that the Paris 2024 Games mark the end of single-use plastic in the capital.
The Paris 2024 Games will leave an ecological mark on the capital. The City of Paris is committed to long-term action that aims to put an end to single-use plastic by 2024. With this is mind, it has innovated with new solutions aiming to limit its use and recycle cups during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Plastic remains a major global issue, according to the French Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices (Opecst), every year, 14,000 mammals and 1.4 million seabirds are killed as a result of ingesting plastic waste, By 2050, it is estimated that there will be as much plastic in the oceans as there are fish.
What is single-use plastic?
Based on European regulations, the City of Paris recognizes single-use plastic (SUP) as packaging that contains or is part plastic. Aluminum/steel cans, cartons, paper cups, organic/compostable/recycled plastic are all single-use plastics.
Celebrating single-use plastic-free sport in 2024
By summer 2024, the aim is to offer visitors and Parisians a celebration of sport without using single-use plastic for drinking and catering.
Single-use plastic-free competition venues
The refreshment stands at the Arena de la Chapelle will welcome visitors without plastic bottles.
Credit
Paris 2024 / Ville de Paris – SCAU / NP2F
All the capital's temporary competition sites (Concorde, Grand Palais, Invalides, Pont Alexandre IIl, Champ-de-Mars / Eiffel Tower) and the Arena La Chapelle will outlaw plastic bottles.
Coca-Cola, official beverage world partner of the Games (water, soft drinks and hot beverages), has upgraded its range of beverages to meet the City of Paris' goal of zero single-use plastic, with distribution via fountains and the use of reusable glass bottles: two more environmentally-friendly solutions that Paris wants to promote.
A total of three beverage solutions will be made available to the public during the Olympic Games: recycled plastic bottles, soda fountains and reusable glass bottles. All are produced at Coca-Cola's Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine) plant.
More than 200 fountains will be used for temporary sites in Paris, with the aim of redeploying them throughout France and Europe.
More than half of the total quantity of drinks will be served through fountains. A first!
The "Marathon pour tous" (For all)
The Marathon pour tous is also being hosted during the Olympic Games. The City of Paris will support every step taken by Paris 2024 to make this race a single-use plastic-free event. This could be by providing access to drinking water and reusable cups, so that no plastic bottles are used for refreshments (one every 5 kilometers).
Zero plastics road races
Credit
ASO/Thomas Maheux
Around fifty road races are held in Paris every year. For example, 400,000 plastic bottles, for around 50,000 runners, are consumed during the Paris Marathon.
In order to reduce the volume of waste (and more specifically single-use plastic waste), event organizers will not be allowed to use single use plastics starting from the 1st September. Authorizations in the Paris public domain will no longer be issued to organizers who fail to comply to this rule. 800,000 plastic bottles will thus be avoided each year which is the equivalent of around twelve tons worth.
Must contain drinking water (Paris water) or spring water/natural mineral water.
Containers: water taps or very large containers (tanker trucks, water bags).
Consumption: ban on cardboard cups (which contain a layer of plastic) and option to use reusable cups or water bottles.
Containers: water taps or very large containers (tanker trucks, water bags).
Consumption: ban on cardboard cups (which contain a layer of plastic) and option to use reusable cups or water bottles.
Paris will be offering enhanced support for organizers of small races (fewer than 2,000 participants), with water provision and loaning and cleaning of reusable cups. The city is also stocking up on 100,000 reusable cups for road race organizers.
A test race (the Paris Centre 10K) took place on October 15th, 2023, reusable cups were loaned to the event host by the City of Paris and cleaned by the ASPP (City employee catering service).
A test race (the Paris Centre 10K) took place on October 15th, 2023, reusable cups were loaned to the event host by the City of Paris and cleaned by the ASPP (City employee catering service).
Water and basketball courts
The Lagny basketball court (20th arrondissement) has just been renovated.
Credit
Gérard Sanz/Ville de Paris
How can we encourage sportsmen and women to use water bottles to avoid the use of plastic bottles which are a major source of pollution? As part of a partnership with the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) and MAIF, some twenty Parisian sports fields are being renovated to become 3x3 basketball courts.
MAIF's "Sport Planète" program has also enabled the installation of signage to guide people to existing nearby water fountains and the installation of new fountains on courts lacking water points.
Zero plastic, a legacy for Paris
A zero-plastics holiday
In April 2023, the City of Paris launched the first zero-plastic certificate for economic players. This covers museums, cruises, bars…
What's it all about? Key tourism players will share commitments and make Paris the first "zero plastic" tourist destination.
Goals:
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A common, binding commitment to access to drinking water. All committed establishments will have to provide free access to tap water and allow visitors and Parisians to freely fill their water bottles. This commitment ties in with the "Ici, je choisis l'eau de Paris" campaign, launched by Eau de Paris in May 2022 with over 800 retail partner.
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Commitments for every activity sector, from beverages and catering to logistics and event scenography.
The first hundred companies involved in the process will sign the certificate on May 30th, 2023 at the Académie du Climat.
Here are a few examples of committed players:
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Cultural players: Eiffel Tower, all Paris museums, 104, RMN-Grand Palais, BnF, Carreau du Temple, Palais de Tokyo, Gaîté Lyrique, We love Green festival….
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Cruisers: Vedettes de Paris, Paris Seine…
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Accommodation : Accor, Grands Hôtels Parisiens, Esprit de France, MIJE association…
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Nightclubs: Le virage, Badaboum, Rosa Bonheur, La Machine, Fluctuart, Glazart, collectif MU.
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Grocery stores: Carrefour, Laiterie la Chapelle, food shops (Biocoop, Day by Day).
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Sports players: La course du grand Paris, Eco trail, Paris Basket, UNSS.
#PerpetualPlastic Machine, by artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong
Credit
Clément Dorval / Ville de Paris
Sitting on the Promenade Edouard Glissant (7th arrondissement), opposite the Musée d'Orsay, Benjamin Von Wong 's work was unveiled by Greenpeace to mark the opening of negotiations on the first-ever global treaty to combat plastic pollution. The art piece is 5 meters high and was on display from the May 27th to June 2nd, 2023. #PerpetualPlastic Machine condemns the link between the fossil fuel industry and plastic pollution.
Paris, reuse capital: three new initiatives
A reusable cups deposit for retailers in the Bassin de la Villette
Bars around the Bassin de la Villette (19th arrondissement) will be launching a reusable cup for all takeaway drinks. Consumers will be able to move from one establishment to another with a reusable cup by dropping it off at the end of their journey at any participating establishment. Cups will be returnable for €1, with a message encouraging consumers to return the cup so as not to take them home with them.
The aim is to reduce the amount of garbage thrown into the Bassin de la Villette as much as possible: every year, almost 180 tons of floating garbage are collected in Parisian canals.
A shared container system for autumn 2023
This new initiative concerns takeaway containers (e.g. glass salad bowls, boxes, burgers, etc.), which can be reused. Consumers can drop off their dirty containers at any participating restaurant, or at dedicated collection points. The containers will then be cleaned in the Parc de la Villette, and returned to the restaurants by cargo bike.
Carrefour, Paris 2024 Games partner, deploys "reusables" in all of its Parisian convenience stores
The Carrefour group will make deposits possible in convenience stores in inner Paris by June 2024. Customers will be able to return packaging at the checkout or at a kiosk in stores, and receive their deposit in exchange.
The world's cities mobilize against plastic
On May 26, the City of Paris organized the first international mayors forum against plastic pollution. The event, co-organized with the United Nations Environment Programme, brought together mayors from five continents, scientists and NGOs to discuss the challenges and solutions facing local authorities in the fight against plastic pollution.
Get all the news on disruptions and opportunities
related to the Games with the Paris Infos Jeux 2024 newsletter.
Paris 2024 Games: What about the planet? The answer in our podcast "Enjeux".
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