Will the 2012 Olympics Be Green, as Promised?

The 2012 Olympics have been hyped for some time with officials promising some major green changes for the event. However, these promises may not be realized unless corporate sponsors are willing to step up to the plate and go green, as well.

Locog, the organizing committee for the Olympics, originally claimed that the 2012 event would be the “greenest games ever.†Promises were made that were contingent on the support and participation of Locog's 55 sponsors, but not everyone was willing to comply.

One of Locog's sustainability pledges is that 70 percent of all waste will be recycled or composted. Coca-Cola has now partnered up with Sita UK to make Locog's vision feasible. The beverage giant has promised to recycle all clear plastic PET bottles and intends on recycling the materials into 80,000 new Coke bottles. To do this, Coca-Cola will be joining forces with Eco Plastics and will open a new recycling plant in north Lincolnshire. Coca-Cola manager Jon Woods commented on Coke's environmental initiatives, stating that they are the company's “most sustainable sponsorship activation†thus far.

Meanwhile, London's Tower Bridge will be undergoing some major changes. They've received final approval to renovate the lighting system into a greener, LED setup. The changes will be far more energy efficient, as energy consumption is expected to be reduced by up to 40 percent.

London's mayor, Boris Johnson, says, “The spectacular view of Tower Bridge from my office in City Hall is one of my favourites in London, and it’s fantastic to now be able to crack on with this work to make it even better, brighter and greener and at no cost to the taxpayer.†Johnson continued, saying, “This city is going to be watched by the world next summer and this grand old lady of London, one of our best loved landmarks, is now set to play a sparkling role in the celebrations. But what’s more, this is another lasting legacy stemming from the Games which will benefit the city for decades.â€

The Tower Bridge renovations will be made possible through Olympic sponsors EDF Energy and GE. Hopefully, more sponsors will step up to the plate by chipping in and making the necessary changes to ensure that the 2012 Olympics will be as green and eco-friendly as possible, so that the games can run as smoothly as a brand new garage door.

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