Plastic-free Paris is fantastic!

What could have prompted Surfrider Foundation Europe - an association founded by a group of surfers in the early 90s, which has since become a benchmark in ocean protection causes - to take action in our capital, not exactly renowned for its surfing? "That's an excellent question," retorts Yann Leymarie, in charge of youth and sports issues at Surfrider Europe. "You should know that 80% of the waste that pollutes the seas and oceans comes from land. So our presence here is really crucial." Like the rest of the planet, which produces 100 million tonnes a year, Paris is overwhelmed by the tidal wave of plastic waste.

In Paris, each inhabitant produces an average of 156 kg of plastic waste per year, from packaging and plastic bottles, as well as micro-particles from our clothes and car tires. Last March, dozens of volunteers from Surfrider's Paris branch embarked on a major clean-up operation around the Bassin de la Villette, collecting 594 plastic cups, 451 small bottles, 363 corks, 335 cigarette packets and 242 straws and swizzle sticks, all in just one hour. While most of this waste ends up in the cleaning and waste management circuits, some ends up irretrievably in the soil and in the Seine. And within the circuits themselves, recycling is sometimes either too complex or too costly. In Paris, only 15% of household plastic waste is given a second life. Nothing to get excited about. While it's certainly not something to be ignored, given the amount of plastic produced every day, recycling everything is not a feasible way out. The challenge is to act at source, by consuming less and better. In short, to enter a new era.

In Paris, the 2024 Games will present an unmissable opportunity to expedite the essential ecological transformation. "We're often inclined to knock sporting and cultural events," remarks Yann Leymarie. When we talk about the environment, some people tend to think we're hippies… using an event of this scale helps us get the message across to as many people as possible, and get them involved." Because nature is its privileged playground, sport seems to be the ideal place for ecological awareness, even among the youngest. "Last year, we accompanied a class of schoolchildren sailing and cleaning up beaches in Normandy. When they returned to the Paris region, they decided to set up a waste sorting system and a whole host of measures to combat plastic pollution in their school!" says an astonished Yann Leymarie, who is used to carrying out educational and awareness-raising missions in schools with Surfrider.

Paris aims to host the Games with lofty environmental goals: achieving global carbon offsetting that surpasses mere neutrality, utilizing public transport and gentle mobility for the Olympic fleet and attendees, offering products from sustainable sources and the circular economy, ensuring responsible water management, and eliminating the use of plastic bottles.

As for athletes, the countdown has already begun: the City of Paris has set 2020 as the target date for the disappearance of plastic straws and disposable tableware, and has just unveiled a guide to getting away from single-use plastic dedicated to players in the events and leisure sectors. Amateur sport is already following suit: in early 2021, ten Parisian clubs signed up to the Sport Zéro Plastique project, an inter-club challenge that will reward the best practices in the fight against single-use plastic. A competitive spirit serving the environmental cause. They may not all be surfers, but the Parisians are about to catch a wave that will propel them to new heights, towards Games that are unprecedented, sustainable and spectacular.