For its second edition, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is innovating with the support of SUEZ to reduce its environmental footprint, by improving the distribution of drinking water on the event and by optimising the management of its waste.
The stage race began yesterday July 23rd and runs until Sunday July 30th. Support from SUEZ notably allows organisers to connect the start and finish sites to the drinking water network and to provide water fountains for the riders, members of the organisation, guests, media and spectators. This unique system is completed by the supply of eco-designed water bottles and reusable cups to those on site, thus eliminating single-use plastic containers and promoting a significant reduction in waste during the event.
In addition to the distribution of drinking water, SUEZ provides the public with all the information available on access points and water quality through the app “Mon eau” (“My water”) and carries a prevention message in Fan Zones and on the roadsides with the caravan, around the message “l’eau pour tous, toutes pour l’eau” (“water for all, all for water”).
These actions are fully in line with the strategy of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in terms of social responsibility: moving towards an ever more responsible organisation and committing to mobility by bicycle through its program “l’Avenir à Vélo” (“the future on a bike”).
Sabrina SOUSSAN, Chairman and CEO of SUEZ said:
“This partnership is a continuation of our commitment to women’s sport, of which the FDJ-SUEZ cycling team is the standard bearer, and to the promotion of exemplary environmental practices. With the 40,000 employees of the SUEZ Group, we are happy to support the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in its eco-responsible approach and to enable it to innovate to move towards an ever more circular economy.”
Marion ROUSSE, Director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift added:
“The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which is already the biggest cycling competition in the world for the women’s peloton, aims to serve as a model, by promoting the use of the bike on a daily basis and by limiting as much as possible the impact of the event on the environment. I am delighted that a major group like SUEZ allows us to innovate in this area, by supporting us in the implementation of an unprecedented system in terms of access to water.”
Key figures:
128 water fountains, connected to the drinking water network, set up at the start and finish sites
4,000 eco cups provided to guests present in the start and finish areas
1,600 eco-designed water bottles provided to those accredited for the event
1,000 cans made available to riders on a dedicated motorbike
30 waste collection areas along the route
2 hybrid vehicles in the publicity caravan bearing the message “water for all, all for water”
