Media

As the year 2023 comes to an end, there is excellent news for one of the major sporting events that took place in Spain in May—the Ibiza World Triathlon Multisport Championships, which has just made history by becoming the first European event to attain the Zero Waste certification.The event, which had previously received the Gold sustainability certificate, now receives the Zero Waste certification from the ‘Mission Zero Academy,’ a program initiated by ‘Zero Waste Europe.’

“For us, this is fantastic news. One of the priorities of World Triathlon, especially when it comes to events, is to contribute to leaving a better planet with the least possible environmental impact. I believe that the tremendous effort made for the Ibiza Multisport World Championship deserves this recognition. Many of the measures we implemented there should be incorporated into all our events to ensure that we can continue celebrating triathlons in such wonderful places like Ibiza,” explained Marisol Casado, President of World Triathlon and IOC member.

“We are very proud and excited to announce the Zero Waste certification of the World Triathlon Multisport Championships that took place in Ibiza in early 2023. Addressing waste reduction challenges and redefining purchasing policies, this event stands as a role model in circularity. Being the first of its kind, we hope to inspire future events towards a more sustainable and Zero Waste future in sports,” stated Solène Fargeix, Business Development Director of the ‘Mission Zero Academy.’

This recognition was possible thanks to the sustainability strategy promoted by the event, which was encompassed within the sustainability movement of the Spanish Triathlon Federation, called Good Loop. Among the measures adopted were the use of reusable cups and bottles, along with the innovative installation of 18 water supply points along the circuits and their surroundings, avoiding the use of over 30,000 plastic bottles. Additionally, infinitely recyclable aluminum cans were used for sealed containers required by anti-doping regulations, 50 fruit trees were planted instead of the usual flower bouquets on the podium, and personalized videos replaced ‘finisher’ shirts and medals for athletes, with medals in NFT format (3.43 tons of carbon dioxide were saved with NFT medals, and 21.45 tons with personalized videos).

The Ibiza Multisport Championships has already become a benchmark for other sports events, setting a clear path for the future, a sentiment shared by both the Spanish Triathlon Federation and World Triathlon. “The Ibiza Multisport Championship was a success in every sense, and now, with this recognition, it is even more so, making history as the first event to be certified as Zero Waste in all of Europe. It is undoubtedly a great satisfaction for the Spanish Federation and sets the path for the events we will celebrate in Spain in 2024,” commented José Hidalgo, President of the Spanish Triathlon Federation.