On August 8, 2024, during the Paris Olympics, people will be able to drink beer from cups made of polylactic acid (PLA) at the Cass Pocha drink stand near the Eiffel Tower. After use, these cups will be recycled.
The Paris Olympics are committed to eliminating single-use plastics by choosing glass bottles and dispensers over single-use plastic bottles and cups. And it takes less energy to transport a PLA cup than a glass one.
Made from 100% bio-based PLA sourced from sugar cane, these cups have a 75% lower carbon footprint than traditional plastics and can be recycled or composted at the end of their life cycle.
Besides PLA cups, what other carbon-reducing materials were used in the Paris Olympics?
In order to meet the goal of halving the carbon emissions of the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Paris 2024 Games had to consider many different sustainability strategies. While bioplastics are just one part of the sustainability puzzle, their inclusion in the Paris Olympics highlights their potential for large-scale events.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, focuses on carbon reduction and environmental protection, and some of the venues use eco-friendly seats made from recyclable plastic waste. The seats were provided by a French eco-construction company, which converted hundreds of tons of renewable plastic into boards through heat compression and other techniques to eventually make the seats.
In addition, the podiums of the Paris Olympics were made of wood and 100% recycled plastic, recycled mainly from shampoo bottles and colored bottle caps. This recycled plastic can be adapted to the needs of different competitions through a modular and innovative design.
Meanwhile, the Chinese table tennis team's uniforms for the Paris Olympics are made from environmentally friendly yarns using waste textile recycling technology, with more than 90% of the raw material for recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) being used PET bottle flakes.
