Since its inception in 1970, the Arctic Winter Games has hosted large scale international events, and have made it a point to acknowledge and appreciate the lands on which the games are played. But this year, through strategic local partnerships, the 2024 Arctic Winter Games’ Sustainability Committee is making changes to further reduce impact on the environment.
Small intentional projects have the power to make a larger impact than you’d think. That’s why this year, elimination of single-use materials, composting, and recycling are major focus areas for the 2024 AWG Sustainability Committee. Thanks to Gateway Community Council and other generous sponsors, volunteers and participants are now armed with reusable water bottles and have easy access to refilling stations. As a result, single-use water bottles have been nearly eliminated from the event altogether, preventing thousands of tossed plastic bottles from entering Alaska’s landfills and waterways. The Sustainability Committee has also taken steps to eliminate single-use materials across cafeterias, sporting events, and athlete villages, and compostable versions are being supplied instead. Receptacles are available to collect used compostable materials and food waste, which will go to local farms. Unused prepared food will be donated to local nonprofits to feed hungry folks in the Valley, and further decrease food waste. AWG has even assigned specific volunteers to help with waste management, and help attendees place their trash and food scraps in the correct bin– whether it be compostable, recyclable, or trash.
These new initiatives join sustainability efforts implemented in previous years, including reusable signage and pop-up tents featuring the Arctic Winter Games signature colors and logos, so they can be used in this round of the Games and those to come in the future. Additionally, much of the media content, marketing materials, handbooks, and volunteer guides are available digitally, significantly cutting down on the amount of discarded paper waste resulting from this monumental week-long event.
The AWG International Committee kindly asks that you consider supporting local sustainability projects and nonprofits throughout the 2024 Games experience, and beyond. If you would like to help support the sustainability efforts of the 2024 Arctic Winter Games, you can learn more and take actions at www.awg2024.org/sustainability. Thanks for helping us keep Alaska clean, beautiful, and healthy for all of us.
Every international event brings a potentially significant toll on the land. Committees for some other international sporting events build brand new facilities in which to hold events then abandon them once the games have ended. In contrast, the Arctic Winter Games use scheduling and careful planning to use existing area infrastructure.