Sustainability & Packing Logistics for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

2024 Paris Olympic Games

The 2024 Olympic Games begins on July 26th in Paris, France, with 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries competing. Over many years of planning, sustainability has been at the forefront of the Games' planning and operations. From archery and shooting to swimming and gymnastics, these athletes and their teams will bring their own gear to the games. Learn the role packaging will play in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Sustainability for the 2024 Games

Paris 2024 set a carbon budget and is proactively calculating its material footprint. These games aim to reduce carbon emissions by 50% compared to previous years and use 100% renewable energy during the games. The three key principles for the circular strategy are to organize the Games with fewer resources, make better use of these resources, and ensure the second life of resources after the games.

Infrastructure

Olympic Village ParisOlympic Village ParisOlympic Village Paris

The competition venues will be 95% pre-existing or temporary, the rest built using low-carbon construction methods. Additionally, long-term living conditions will be improved by transforming the Olympic Village into a new residential and business district. This will provide 6,000 apartments and 6,000 workplaces, rejuvenating the district, currently with an unemployment rate exceeding 20%.

Food and Beverage

13 million meals will be delivered during the Olympic and Paralympic Games more sustainably. To cut single-use plastic usage, all the catering equipment and infrastructure after the Games will be reused.

A formal letter has been signed by 102 athletes across 43 sports and 30 countries expressing their concern for the plastic pollution crisis and urging Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to significantly increase the use of reusable packaging. To start, Coca-Cola will install 700 water and soda fountains across all Paris 2024 sites and the organizers will install free drinking water points. Spectators will be allowed to enter all venues with reusable water bottles.

Transportation

Organizers have structured the Games to leverage Paris’s existing public transport network by ensuring that all venues are accessible by public transport. More than 80% of the Olympic venues are within 10km of the Olympic Village, which minimizes travel time for athletes. Additionally, the vehicle fleet carrying athletes will include electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles and will be optimized, using 40% fewer vehicles compared to previous Games.


Packing for the Olympic Games

Although runners and swimmers can pack their uniforms in their luggage, other Paris-bound athletes face challenges in getting their equipment to these Summer Games. From boats to poles, hundreds upon hundreds of containers of sporting equipment are sent to Paris for competition.

Cargo

Team USA Cargo for OlympicsTeam USA Cargo for OlympicsTeam USA Cargo for Olympics

Sam Hubbard, director of events and logistics for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, carefully cataloged and packaged 220 pallets of items to be sent to Paris. As one of the most logistically challenging sports events in the world, this process started months ago to ensure that anything that might be needed over there, such as medical equipment and hurdles, is there for the Games.

Sailing

Olympic SailingOlympic SailingOlympic Sailing

To get a Nacra 17 catamaran to Paris, Newberry Moore explains that planning took nearly two years. Boats are disassembled stateside, loaded into cargo containers, and shipped overseas. Once there, it can take a whole day to get a boat reconstructed into racing condition.

Personal Belongings

In addition to their equipment, Olympic athletes pack their bags with items that they can’t leave home without. Snacks and games are at the top of athletes’ lists as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone often brings gummy bears and UNO cards to events.


Properly transporting products is essential for all companies to reduce costly damage rates. Contact our packaging specialists to ensure your packaging materials and equipment are performing optimally during transport.