Football: The sport that holds a central place in the hearts of many British people. As a result, football stadiums provide a bustling centre with community activity, and culture, contributing to a significant economic impact. But what about their environmental impact?
As attendance increases, so does the environmental footprint of football stadiums. From energy consumption and waste generation to resource use and emissions, the sustainability element of football stadiums is of concern.
Over the years, there have been various schemes implemented to aid football stadiums in their sustainability. The Football Association (FA) first launched their first strategy in 2009 with Wembley Stadium being the first sporting venue to achieve the Carbon Trust Triple Standard in 2014.
The FA provide roadmaps on how stadiums worldwide can enhance their sustainability practices, driving environmental ambitions throughout football. Recently the FA launched their latest 5-year strategy 'Playing for the Future' to drive sustainability within stadiums until 2028 when the strategy will be revised and built upon.
The latest strategy prioritises a focus on the following:
Shoot for Net Zero - Combatting climate change and reducing carbon emissions by 2040.
Save our Resources - Reducing resource consumption and embedding sustainable practices.
Make an Impact - Delivering a framework to support all clubs, leagues, and partners in sustainable change.
Increasing sustainability within football stadiums can be influential in inspiring football fans to be sustainable. Many fans want to see a sustainable change within stadiums.
And that is just the environmental impact of travelling. Imagine the combined impact of everything that is used to run a football stadium. There are several sustainable practices that stadiums can implement to help in the fight against climate change and encourage sustainability among fans.
To encourage fans to be sustainable, why not provide them with ways in which they can contribute to making their favourite sport sustainable? An easy place to start is with the packaging of food and drinks!
Single-Use Plastic at Stadiums
Single-use plastic is a common sight at football matches, from drinking cups and straws to food trays and cutlery. Although a small aspect of the football experience, they hold a mighty influence in waste generation, plastic pollution and carbon emissions. Let's use plastic bottles as an example:
It is estimated that as many as 750,000 plastic bottles are used at just one event held within a sports stadium. With over 2 thousand stadiums around the world, holding events currently would result in billions of waste being created.
Once fans are done with their bottle, it would result in either landfill, our environment or being incinerated - breaking down plastic to create microplastics that spread everywhere from our land, water and even the air we breathe!
Not only this, but single-use plastic also results in the following:
Waste generation - Thousands of fans at each game result in thousands of plastic packaging wasted, going straight to landfills or our environment.
Intensive resource use - New and raw materials are used to manufacture plastic packaging, which spends more time being manufactured and transported than in use!
Plastic pollution - Improperly disposed plastic packaging results in the breakdown into microplastics and enters our ecosystem.
Increased impact on stadium operations - The volume of waste increases costs, complicates waste management, and requires more cleaning efforts after each match.
Achieving Sustainable Stadiums with Technology
At Circulayo, we are committed to helping not just businesses and venues, but stadiums in reducing their single-use waste with technology solutions.
Our solutions allow businesses to trace and manage their reusable packaging to increase their sustainable footprint. The Flow Platform supports businesses in supply chain management and decision-making. Trace each reusable item to view insights on plastic and carbon savings, and reuse and return rates through impact reports to see sustainability target progress.
Engage consumers in sustainability with AppNostic. Consumers can access the AppNostic by scanning QR codes on reusable items to discover more about sustainability, the journey of the item, and business promotions, messages and offers.
With our technology, we can support stadiums in adopting a complete circular economy for their reusable packaging and products. With our data-driven insights, stadiums can adjust their sustainability strategies and track progress towards goals.
Through adopting sustainable and innovative solutions, stadiums can significantly reduce their environmental footprint. Stadiums can lead the way in sustainability and environmental efforts for sporting events through collective efforts and innovative approaches.
Looking for other ways to enhance your stadium's sustainability? Visit our other blog, Stadium Sustainability: Where to Start. Contact us today to find out how we can support your stadium's environmental impact.
