When planning the games, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) set itself a target to send zero waste to landfill and send 70% of waste for recycling or reuse. It also committed to following exemplary waste management practices.
However, according to the Local Government Association (LGA), investment in the boroughs hosting the games has so far focused on recycling rather than reuse and waste reduction. In particular, the LGA is concerned that planned support for a network of reuse groups in East London did not materialise. Instead, investment has gone on recycling bins.
The comments emerged in a report prepared by senior LGA advisor Abigail Burridge on a green and sustainable Olympic Games discussed at a meeting of the Local Government Associations environment and housing board last week (May 16).
The report said: LOCOG have adopted a target of zero waste to landfill, aiming to reuse, recycle and compost over 70% of the waste produced by the Games. This was meant to be complimented by supporting a network of reuse and recycling voluntary groups in East London.
However, in achieving this target the majority of investment has gone into providing recycling bins for councils in East London. Coca Cola is aiming to provide 80 bins by the start of the Games. More may have been achieved by working with the sponsors and suppliers of the Games to reduce the amount of waste produced.
The LGA has set up a group to support councils in the lead up to the Olympics and members are promoting recycling in support of the 2012 Zero Waste to landfill commitment. Council members have also met with key sponsors of the Olympics, such as Coca Cola, to discuss promoting recycling.
During the games, 500,000 extra visitors are expected to descend on the capital.
Coca-Cola
The comments from the LGA came as Coca-Cola announced that it is running a major recycling campaign over the next ten weeks as part of its role in the Olympic Torch Relay.
Recycle Beat, a custom-made mobile recycling vehicle, will join the Olympic Flame on its full journey across Britain, which started in Lands End on Saturday (May 19), until its arrival in London on July 26.
The hybrid Recycle Beat van will be a prominent part of each citys evening celebrations, with a dedicated recycling team working to encourage people to make recycling pledges. Torch spectators will be invited to recycle their empty bottles and cans into the chute of their choice on the vehicle, which activates a musical remix of Mark Ronsons London 2012 anthem, Move to the Beat.
The recyclate collected by Recycle Beat will be transported to Continuum Recycling a brand new plastics processing facility developed in partnership between Coca-Cola Enterprises and ECO Plastics. This system will allow bottles collected by the Recycle Beat vehicle to return to shop shelves as new bottles in as little as six weeks.
Patrick McGuirk, recycling director at Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: We are delighted that recycling will play such a major role in the Olympic Flames journey across the UK. The sustainable fleet has been designed to inspire and encourage Olympic Torch Relay spectators to recycle by engaging them in an interactive and fun way.
As well as collecting crucial material, the Recycle Beat team will be helping to deliver the recycling message directly to the British public and demonstrating how their actions can make a real difference. We hope that our back in 6 weeks message on the journey of recycled bottles will reach hundreds of thousands of consumers and inspire behaviour change on a day-to-day basis.
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