One of the most renowned races in the world, the London Marathon brings together both professional athletes and hardworking charity fundraisers for the pinnacle of the UK’s marathon calendar, to compete in a gruelling 26-mile race through the heart on London.
As is always the case here at Junk Hunters, our main concern is the amount of waste that is left behind, and believe us when we say there’s a lot. Estimates from 2016 stated that once the race is completed almost seven tonnes of waste will have to be cleared from the site, including four tonnes of recyclable waste and roughly 40,000 plastic bottles.
With a great deal of urgency needed to get the roads of Westminster operational again, it takes an extremely rapid and efficient service from the local council to clear away all this rubbish. Whilst it is vitally important to clear the waste quickly, this isn’t necessarily the most accurate way of making sure the rubbish is correctly separated.
Virgin, who sponsor the London marathon, have produced their own six-page document stating their commitment to sustainability at the race, which extensively covers everything from recycling paper at their offices to the use of eco-friendly toilets at the marathon. Another positive step is the 100% recyclable bottles provided by Lucozade, which make a major difference when it comes to cutting down on the usage of non-recyclable plastic bottles.
It also states that a key aim is to engage other stakeholders and sponsors in the sustainability process. This is a positive step forward in that it puts other businesses in a position where they must begin considering just how up to standard their own green credentials are.
Overall, with an event under this much scrutiny it would be extremely hard for the London Marathon not to have some sort of major sustainability credentials in place. The measures put in place by sponsors Virgin are a shining example of just serious businesses are taking the need to go green at major events like this.
If you have similar event that you feel requires the professional and know-how of a private waste collection service, don’t hesitate to contact us online or over the phone.