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Swifter, Higher, Greener

The Games of the XXX Olympiad bowed in London on Friday. Have you been watching? So far the competition has been intense, but not all of it is on the field. Organizers of the games have publicly stated that they expect the 2012 Games to be the greenest ever, going so far as to set a goal of sending zero waste to landfill. A variety of techniques will be used to achieve this goal, including the use of packaging color-coded to route it to appropriate recycling receptacles, and a range of compostable serviceware.

Still, with thousands of athletes and millions of spectators flooding the country (and the immense carbon footprint that implies) it does seem a tad facetious to call anything about the Olympics "green" (and I say that as a huge Olympics nut and a proud Olympic volunteer when the games were held in my hometown of Atlanta). But it's a noble goal all the same.

We will have an in-depth look at the specific sustainability efforts at the London games later this week.

Recycling at the Olympics: A TakePart Infographic
Via: TakePart.com
Are London Olympics Going for Recycling Gold
Take Action: Opt for Recycled Paper Products

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The Heap is a blog featuring waste industry news and analysis written by the staff of Waste Age magazine and guest commentators.

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