With the Paris Olympic Games less than a year away, the catering team are devising more sustainable approaches to their cooking. Central to Paris’ hosting bid, they plan to reduce the carbon footprint by half compared to previous editions. Catering plans to play a major role in reducing carbon emissions, despite more than 13 million meals and snacks set to be served during the game.
Organisers have vowed to cut single-use plastic by half, source 80% of products locally, reduce food waste and recover 100% of unconsumed resources. There will be a 50% reduction in single-use plastics (by weight, using London 2012 as a benchmark). Over 700 water and soda fountains will be installed across all Paris 2024 sites, as well as water points. All plastic will be collected and recycled, and tableware reusable, with returnable and recyclable alternatives for take-out catering. All 100,000 plates needed for the Olympic Village will be reused by the events management specialist Sodexo Live! after the Games, as will other equipment and catering infrastructure.
They plan to include:
- 2x more plant-based food
- 100% certified food, including 80% French origin products and 30% organic
- Recycle 100% of uneaten food
- Ensure second life for used equipment and infrastructures
Paris 2024’s “food vision” prioritises quality, taste and experience, and purity of products, following extensive consultations with representative groups across France and the entire agri-food sector. They plan on doubling the number of vegetables and vegetable protein on plates to help halve the carbon footprint of meals. All leftover food will be donated, composted or used to produce renewable gas. This massive feat will be the first of its kind for the Olympic games and will lead the future for more events.
