The dioxins, a byproduct of the chemical weapon Agent Orange, made in Sydney for the United States to spray on Vietnam, were chemically broken down. Greenpeace accepts that the Olympic site is now safe. Alongside the clean-up came a construction programme boasting many green features, including a preservation programme for the endangered bell frog discovered hopping around the old brickworks. Toilet water is recycled. Inside Homebush the use of plastics has been minimised and a recycling and composting system established.
Food is served on crushed apple pulp plates, with baked cornflour cutlery.
Across the city triathletes have been terrified by sightings of sharks near their Sydney Harbour swimming course. We can be very justifiably proud. But environmental groups offer some important qualifications. Greenpeace recently gave the Olympics a six out of 10 green rating. The conservation measures may offer a useful model for the Western world, but the local legacy of the Olympics is patchy.