For the Paris Olympics, a podium in recycled plastic “100% made in France”

After the mascots, the torch, the medals, and even the poster… it’s the turn of the podium of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris to be revealed. Built from recycled plastic, it has motifs on its facade evoking the Eiffel Tower. Sixty-eight podiums were made from 40 tonnes of recycled plastic, supplied by the company Le Pavé based in Aubervilliers, in Seine-Saint-Denis, explained the organizers who presented the object on Thursday. They are designed in modules and will be used for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The facade with “metallic lace” patterns of the Eiffel Tower, in the words of the president of the Organizing Committee Tony Estanguet, is white in color and was produced by a company based in Eure-et-Loir (Global Concept ), then all assembled with a plywood support by another company based in Orly, in Val-de-Marne (Giffard).

The president of the organizing committee welcomed a “100% made in France” podium. The top of the steps is gray in color “in reference to the zinc on the roofs of Paris,” explained Joachim Ronsin, design director of the Olympic organizing committee, ahead of the presentation.

Absolute symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower is also in the spotlight for the Olympic medals which include a small original piece. The Olympic rings will be hung on the monument during the Olympics. The podiums of the Games are intended to have “a second life” after the competition but their fate is not yet known. Former para-swimming champion Ludivine Munos explained how symbolic the object was for the athletes: “We only think about that, we say to ourselves one day I will have the chance to climb this step”.