The zero-waste spirit is gaining ground

Towards zero waste. Today, everyone is striving to be increasingly exemplary when it comes to sorting and reducing waste. These gestures are beneficial for our planet, particularly in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For the 2021 edition, the EcoTrail Paris® has paid particular attention to waste management and the use of water along the route. Through this series of articles, we'd like to highlight a new initiative implemented as part of this 14th edition.

Preventing a large amount of runners' waste from ending up in the environment. The EcoTrail Paris® takes up this challenge every year. For this 14th edition, our event has once again sought to reduce the production of waste along the various routes. Reducing the presence of plastic, however, remains a major and difficult task.

Drinking water on tap

Various actions were carried out at the feed zones. Once again this year, runners were given recyclable cups to drink from. No more single-use plastic water bottles. Throughout the race, the public company Eau de Paris, in charge of producing and distributing tap water in the capital, set up drinking water tankers at the various refreshment points. An opportunity to quench the thirst of the participants in this 14th edition. "Eau de Paris is one of the race's official supporters. We provide water tankers to keep runners hydrated. We share the values promoted by the EcoTrail Paris® through the reduction of plastic bottles. We need to raise public awareness to promote the use of tap water", explains Hadizatou Oumarou, Eau de Paris Public Relations Officer.

Sodastream makes the EcoTrail Paris® sparkle

Other beverages were also on offer. Participants were offered sparkling water from our partner Sodastream. To reduce plastic consumption, the refreshment zones were equipped with sparkling water production machines and their reusable bottles. Several stands also experimented with the brand's new Pepsi and 7ups flavors."We are delighted to have been able to collaborate with the EcoTrail Paris® after the cancellation of the 2020 edition. Sodastream's ambition is to revolutionize the world of sparkling beverages by offering an alternative solution to single-use plastic bottles. Our ambition is to avoid the consumption of over 2.3 billion bottles by 2025. We have a real job to do in France to change our habits. A Sodastream reusable bottle, because it lasts three years, avoids the use of over 1,600 single-use plastic bottles per family", emphasizes Antoine Dedobbeler, Managing Director of Sodastream France.

Committed, shared values

An ecological solution in line with the values advocated by the EcoTrail Paris®. Sodastream is delighted to be able to collaborate with this trail, which continues to innovate in terms of eco-responsibility. "This collaboration with the EcoTrail Paris® really makes sense because we share the same values. This trail develops a very interesting concept by pushing the notion of eco-responsibility to the extreme. It's a battle that motivates us and unites us at Sodastream too. We're delighted to be able to make our different machines and our range of sodas available to runners", assures the manager, who is passionate about the world of trail and ultra trail running.

Moulinot, from food waste to compost

EcoTrail Paris® is continuing its commitment to waste sorting, with the aim of making the event ever more eco-responsible. Moulinot, a social enterprise specializing in food waste, has taken on the task of collecting bio-waste from the entire course. A pioneer in this field, the trail has built up a real bond of trust with the company for over 5 years now. Teams of collectors have installed bins and recovered food waste to transform it into fertilizer (compost or digestate) and biogas. "It's a real source of pride to be working with EcoTrail Paris®. Moulinot has grown with EcoTrail Paris® since 2015. It's a historic collaboration with several missions for this year 2021: setting up 9 collection points and a presence in the village to raise public awareness. We feel it's important to highlight our actions and inform participants about the fate of this waste. The EcoTrail Paris® is a pioneering event in this field. It is the 1st mass event to be sensitive to this issue and to implement concrete actions", says Olivier Salloum, Moulinot Sales Director.

Lemon tri & Recyclerie Sportive, it's in the box

EcoTrail Paris® has also adopted the right zest with Lemon Tri. The company unveiled its innovative sorting and recycling solutions to combat the landfill and incineration of waste, while ensuring the professional integration of people who are far from employment. This was an opportunity to improve sorting performance together, using dedicated bins to make the event even more sustainable. The organization also called on the Recyclerie Sportive to collect abandoned textiles from the start and finish areas. Since 2015, it has been giving a second and even a third life to sports and leisure items.