Waste is an area where London 2012 has the potential to set new standards of sustainability – both in the construction sector and for large events. It is an area where anyone attending the Games will have a part to play.
Demolition and construction waste
So far, the ODA have achieved industry-leading performance for demolition and construction waste. For demolition, they are achieving in excess of their target of 90 percent reuse or recycling, set in their Sustainable Development Strategy. Their sitewide construction waste contractor is achieving in excess of the target of 90 percent diversion from landfill for construction waste. Both of these performances set standards for the rest of the construction industry to follow.
These achievements have been largely through recycling or down-cycling of materials. We have recommended that a specific target for reuse is set for transformation.
Recycled content
In their Sustainable Development Strategy, the ODA committed to achieving at least 20 percent recycled content by value in their venues and at least 25 percent recycled content by volume of aggregate used. Current performance is in excess of these targets, with good use of WRAP quick wins and recycled aggregate coming from demolition materials.
Games-time waste
A commitment was made in the bid that London 2012 would be a zero waste Games. This followed through into the London 2012 Sustainability Plan where London 2012 set the challenging target of zero waste direct to landfill at Games-time. This is supported by a target for at least 70 percent of this waste being reused, recycled or composted. Plans are being developed to achieve this. There are various challenges that will need to be addressed to meet these targets but a key study has shown that it is achievable. One key issue will be what material food containers are made of and how they are to be recycled or composted.
If LOCOG implement all their plans for waste management they will deliver an exemplary waste solution for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Transformation
The London 2012 Sustainability Plan contains the commitment to ‘take reasonable endeavours to reuse or recycle at least 90 per cent, by weight, of the material arising from the installation and deconstruction of its temporary venues and overlay (stretch target)’. We welcome this commitment to reuse or recycle at least 90 per cent of materials, but we are of the view that a specific target for reuse of materials needs to be set. The Commission also recommends that there is greater coordination of waste and materials arising in transformation after the Games, before handover to the Olympic Park Legacy Company.
The Commission
In 2010, the Commission published “No time to waste”, a review of waste across the London 2012 programme. This sets out comments and makes recommendations.
The Commission will continue to monitor waste and resource management as part of its remit and looks forward to seeing evidence the plans within LOCOG being turned into actions. Key stages for this will be the appointment of a waste and resource management contractor and when detailed plans are set out for the ‘bump out’ stage after the Games.
