At the 2007 Green Materials and Green Olympics International Conference held in Beijing from October 27 to 28, representatives from around the world reached a consensus on promoting biodegradable plastics for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This initiative aimed to support the concept of a "Green Olympics" by reducing environmental impact through sustainable materials.
Yang Yichun, Director of the Science and Technology Committee of the 29th Olympic Games and Head of the Technical Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee, highlighted that the Beijing Olympic Committee and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) had signed a joint statement on the use of degradable plastics. The agreement focused on the selection, recycling, and public education regarding biodegradable plastic products. Since then, significant progress has been made: guidelines for evaluating green plastics were issued, standards for biodegradable plastics at the Beijing Olympics were developed, and proposals for using these materials in the Olympic Village and major venues received strong support.
Wang Shuxian, Vice Minister of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, and Yi Yi, Director of the Catering Division, revealed that authorities were actively working to ensure that biodegradable plastic products—such as garbage bags, laundry bags, and tableware—would be widely used during the Games. Biodegradable tableware would be implemented in all areas where disposable products are typically used, significantly reducing plastic waste.
According to Weng Yunxuan, Secretary-General of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association's Degradable Plastics Professional Committee, biodegradable plastics have evolved from research and development in the 1990s to an era of widespread application and rapid growth. In recent years, China has made remarkable progress, with expanded production capacity, breakthroughs in processing technology, and the establishment of international-standard product evaluation systems. These developments provided a solid foundation for the successful implementation of biodegradable plastics at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The conference was jointly organized by the Science and Technology Committee of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, ICS-UNIDO, the Beijing New Material Development Center, and Tsinghua University. An accompanying exhibition, the 2007 Green Materials Green Olympics International Exhibition, took place simultaneously.
Another key announcement revealed that over 8 million biodegradable plastic bags would be used in the Olympic Village during the Games, addressing environmental concerns caused by traditional plastic bags. Additionally, 400,000 black trash cans, 7.5 million white plastic bags in athlete rooms, and 200,000 medical yellow plastic bags would all be made from degradable materials. Companies operating in the commercial service area of the Olympic Village were also required to use biodegradable plastic bags, while souvenir bags would be produced using eco-friendly materials.
This comprehensive approach marked a major step forward in integrating sustainability into one of the world’s most prominent sporting events.
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