French decathlon coach Sebastien Levicq looked serene as he skated around the village yesterday, in his recycled T-shirt, promoting sustainable fashion.

"I like skating because it's a cool, convenient, pollution-free way to travel," Levicq said.

Athletes from different parts of the world do their best to keep the 66-hectare Olympic Village - the largest in Olympic history - green.

Athletes shuttle about on bikes and skates within the village, which was built using the latest energy-saving technology.

"The village has a great recycling system," American athlete Josh Mcadams said.

"And we stick to the green concept by laundering our towels and sheets only every few days so as to use less detergent and water."

Resident athletes also proudly wear the Village Green Pin Trading Center T-shirts, made of cotton and recycled polyethylene terephthalate extracted from plastic bottles.

The splendid athlete residential area in the Beijing Olympic Village

"They are really comfortable," Chinese Taipei women softball player Meng-Ting Lai said, in her T-shirt bearing the slogan "I'm from the Earth".

"Its great to have the chance to learn more about what we can do individually to contribute to sustainable communities here."

The Green Pin Trading Center also organizes activities such as "environmental champion speaker evenings" to give athletes tips on how to lead a more environmentally friendly life.

"It's the most popular activity in the village," Lee Bodimeade, head coach of the US hockey team, said.

"Everybody there is keen on the recycling concept and helping the planet look good."

"Anything relating to recycling is worthwhile," Lithuanian basketball player, Maruonas Petravicius said, carrying a fabric bag of souvenirs bought from the gift shop.

Former Chinese volleyball icon Lang Ping, coach of the US women's volleyball team, get a T-shirt, made of cotton and recycled polyethylene terephthalate extracted from plastic bottles, in the Olympic Village in Beijing on August 5.

Chinese volleyball player Zhao Ruirui and her fellow players get environmental friendly T-shirts in the Olympic Village in Beijing on Aug. 4.

(China Daily August 13, 2008)