VANOC's Sustainability Report states that they would go greener by:
-Reducing Sources: Do we need this product? Can we rent it rather than own? Can packaging be reduced or eliminated?
-Reuse: Can they use recycled or recyclable materials? Can they reuse old items in creative ways?
-Recycle: They would recycle and compost all disposable items.
-Waste to Energy: They would divert non-recyclable waste to facilities that convert waste materials to energy through combustion.
-Disposal at Landfill: An is sent to gas-to-energy or standard landfills (the last resort)
Here's a diagram from the Sustainability Report showing just how much waste was generated and how it was disposed of
This is pretty cool to see... wow, 712 metric tonnes of waste was recycled in 1 year from the Games.
With something like the Olympics which draws in international and global attention, it's important to link the "environment" with the Games because this draws awareness (a key factor) to world-wide environmental issues... making people realize that maybe they need to start thinking about how they're affecting our earth, because if the Olympics have taken on the huge challenge to incorporate green practices into every planning stage of the Games, then it has to show to people that the issues we're facing are obviously big ones.
Especially with the Olympics being in Vancouver and showcasing how natural, beautiful, fresh, and clean it is. Whether people saw it on the TV or they were there in person, it truly looks like a painting... you stand at the harbour, look across at the sun shining on the snow capped mountains reflecting on the ocean. This is our earth, and lets keep it looking this beautiful for the next generations.
