Every two years, the world tunes into the Olympics. Athletes at the peak of their fitness show their prowess at a range of skills, from gymnastics and swimming to beach volleyball. And for centuries—despite the obvious connection with physical health—environmental concerns took a back seat at the games.
This all changed in 1994, when Norway’s Lillehammer Olympic Committee teamed with the Project for an Environment-Friendly Olympics to reduce the environmental impact of the games. Transportation was streamlined. Olympic village structures were designed to be repurposed as housing. Tracks and race courses were planned to minimize the disruption of nature. Fines were levied for felling trees, and vendors used biodegradable tableware.
Lillehammer was recognized with a United Nations Environment Program “500 Award.” Their efforts motivated the adoption of the Olympic Sport and Environment Commission, with the goal of boosting standards for greener games. So how did London’s Summer Games stack up?
Some 40% of London’s Stadium was made out of recycled materials, including gas pipelines from a North Sea oil project. Its cycling Velodrome was constructed from sustainably grown Siberian pine and featured toilets that ran on rainwater. Not only were food and beverage packaging recyclable—so was the futuristic white basketball stadium. EDF Energy supplied the venues with low-carbon nuclear and renewable energy and the 4,400 Olympic bouquets featured roses sustainably grown in the UK.
In the sporting spirit, let’s hope Olympic hosts continue to vie for the title of Greenest Games—it’s a competition in which we only stand to benefit.
Photo, taken on July 30, 2012, courtesy of David Holt via Flickr.