In the two weeks of the Olympic Games, organisers recovered nearly 60 tonnes of food, which they will redistribute to those in need via several charities.
Paris 2024 organisers had planned to redistribute unconsumed products from the 13 million meals and snacks served on the Olympic sites, in order to limit food waste.
They signed agreements with three French charities - Restos du Cœur, Chaînon Manquant and Banque Alimentaire, the French Federation of Food Banks - to help collect the food.
François Gras, the president of the Banque Alimentaire of Paris and Île-de-France (Bapif) welcomed the success of this "great operation", which made it possible to "collect quality products".
He said that the organisations were able to recover "a lot of fruits and vegetables, breakfasts, dairy products and quite a few salads or pre-packaged snacks".
These fresh products were a welcome addition to the "dry or frozen products" that European funds help the charity to buy.
"It's a great addition for people in real precarious situations," Gras said.
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Charter
Gras told Franceinfo that the 60 tonnes of food collected during the Olympics will be passed on to food banks across France throughout the month of August.
The quantity represents "roughly the equivalent of more than 100,000 meals," he said.
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Although the charity could have continued to function without the newly-collected food this summer, Gras says it is nevertheless extremely welcome to have the extra stock for organisations that have trouble meeting demands.
Limiting food waste was one of the six key goals included in a social and environmental charter published by Paris 2024 organisers prior to the Games.
They promised to halve the event's carbon footprint compared to previous Games by cutting down on plastic use and designing recyclable equipment and infrastructure.
