Sochi 2014 Pledges Commitment to Host the Games without Waste

Sochi 2014 today reaffirmed its commitment to the environment through hosting the “Olympic Games without waste” seminar in the Sochi 2014 Joint Information Center (JIC) in Moscow.

The event attracted leading experts in ecology, who discussed ways to minimize waste during the preparation and staging of Sochi 2014. Participants also discussed how recycled waste can be a valuable commodity.

The seminar was attended by representatives of Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources; Rosprirodnadzor, Russia’s Federal service for monitoring the natural environment; the Ministry of Regional Development of Russia; State Corporation Olimpstroy; construction and design contractors; academic institutions; experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and “Greenpeace”; as well as numerous members of the business community.

The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 are playing a critical role in the development of a new approach to environmental protection in Sochi and across the whole of Russia. One of the major Sochi 2014 environmental commitments is the implementation of the Zero Waste program, which will see a system of raw waste material recycling as well as for the reduction in the amount of waste generated by the city and through Games preparations.

The experts agreed that a large event such as the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games requires special attention. The head of the EU Harmonization of Environmental Standards II – Russia project, Dietrich Hahn, told about the research of the environmental impact of sporting events in Germany. This found that on the first day of an event the average spectator leaves approximately 200 grams of litter, meaning almost 3,000 tons of waste are generated during major sports events.

According to specialists, the amount of waste generated during Sochi 2014 construction will be approximately 500,000 cubic meters. Mobile systems for recycling waste will be installed in the areas of its greatest concentration to ensure effective waste management.

At the seminar, best practice examples of Olympic construction waste recycling were demonstrated. For example, during the construction of the second cargo yard in the Imeretinskaya valley more than 12,000 tons of concrete will be extracted from the ground and reused.

Sochi 2014 experts noted that maximum impact can be achieved using an integrated approach. This will engage both contractors and residents of Sochi. In addition, it is important to manage effectively construction waste process – past experience demonstrated that the result of recycling is high quality materials.

During the seminar, a great deal of attention was devoted to consideration of the General Program of Sochi Clearance. Work on this project is near completion, as well as plans for a new, environmentally friendly waste disposal plant which will process both urban waste and waste related to Sochi 2014.

The seminar “Olympic Games without waste” is the second in a series of Olympic environmental seminars in 2009. These seminars are fast becoming a universal platform for open discussion amongst all Sochi 2014 stakeholders. Through the Olympic environmental seminars, Sochi 2014 will adopt international environmental best practice and the most advanced technology to ensure that the Krasnodar’s unique nature is preserved for future generations.

Source: Sochi 2014

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