The Importance Of The London 2012 Olympics

The Olympics are far more than a sporting event. Existing in their modern form for hundreds of years, and in various others for thousands, they have shaped the culture of countries in the global community (Hayes, 2012). Despite their cultural significance, in recent years many concerns have risen over the environmental implications that the hosting city of the games sustains with the construction, influx of visitors, and the games themselves. For the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) placed a great deal of importance on sustainability, and set out with the goal to create the most sustainable event possible from start to finish. As the first Olympic Host City to place the environmental impact of the games at the forefront of all stages- from the buildings, waste management, to energy …show more content…
Committing to a low to no waste Olympic Games was a huge aspect for London, from their candidacy to the aftermath of the games, in shaping how the Games were seen in the eyes of the global sustainability community. Often seen as one of the most daunting issues, especially due to consumption by a massive amount of visitors to the area in a short amount of time, the London 2012 Olympics spared no detail in ensuring that they would leave no mark on landfills despite hosting a massive event. In the years and months leading up to the Games, the LOCOG hosted waste free press conferences and events, the first planning committee of its kind to extend the commitment so far beyond the Games themselves. To sustain the new residential and business communities that the park would be converted to after the Games, they also looked to extend advanced recycling programs in the area of East London beyond just the Olympic park itself (“A Review of Waste…”,