The Golden Legacy of Olympic Equipment: A ‘Second Life’ Unveiled as the Paris Games Draw to a Close
Over the years, the Olympics have gained a reputation for monumental waste, with entire stadiums left to decay once the two-week sporting event concludes. However, Paris 2024 took a different approach, focusing on sustainability and reducing waste. Paris aimed to do things differently by utilizing temporary venues to minimize construction and encouraging suppliers to consider the “second life” of their equipment. This innovative mindset extended to even the most minor details, such as tennis balls and sand for beach volleyball. Georgina Grenon, the Paris 2024 sustainability director, shared their unique strategy in an interview with AFP. She explained that before ordering anything, they contemplated the post-Games purpose of each item. This approach is a first for a major global sports event, and even consultants hired by the team couldn’t find a similar precedent. The Paris Olympics involved 32 sports and approximately 10 million spectators. Grenon’s team created an inventory of ev...