CHANGING THE GAME: SPORTS' REGENERATIVE APPROACH TO REVITALIZE LAND QUALITY
LAND
Inspired by Paul Hawken's vision in Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation, we've launched "Regeneration Revolution: Sport’s Solutions to Helping End the Climate Crisis." This series highlights how sports can be a dynamic force in addressing the climate crisis, with a keen focus on the nine core areas explored in Hawken's book: Cities, Food, People, Energy, Industry, Forests, Land, Wilding, and Oceans.
Land plays a crucial role in the interconnectedness of our planet, yet our land has changed for the worse over the last 2,000 years. This shift is due to factors that include farming techniques, explosive urban growth, and industrialization.
Hawken writes how solutions such as regenerative agriculture and land restoration can reverse the loss of carbon and drying out of our soils, capture more carbon, and emit more oxygen — ultimately, reaping benefits to all on the planet.
HOW IS THE SPORTS
INDUSTRY RESPONDING?
The sports industry is becoming much more mindful of its operations and their impact on the land surrounding sports facilities. We are seeing a growing number of sports organizations implementing programs to improve composting and recycling, conserve water usage, and put their facilities to better use with a focus on building a more sustainable community.
SEATTLE MARINERS COMPOSTING AND RECYCLING
Through an aggressive program that included switching to compostable serviceware and packaging, the Mariners were able to improve their game-day waste diversion:
FROM
38%
in 2009
TO
90%
today
A critical aspect of the program is the educational component. Signs explain that the serviceware is compostable and recycling bins are easy to recognize.
Through a partnership with their compost provider, the Mariners provided compost made from the stadium’s organic waste to fans as part of an educational promotion.
© IMAGO
UEFA’S CIRCULAR ECONOMY GUIDELINES
UEFA recently introduced new Circular Economy Guidelines that emphasize a '4R' strategy – reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover. These guidelines target the circular management of apparel, equipment, event materials, energy, and water consumption and aim to reduce waste and the sport's environmental footprint. They are a crucial component of UEFA's 'Strength Through Unity' Sustainability Strategy 2030 and reflect a significant shift in the approach to sustainability in European football.
BOSTON RED SOX AND FENWAY FARMS
In 2015, the Boston Red Sox installed a 5,000-square-foot rooftop farm on previously unused space within the ballpark.
More than 5,900 pounds of fresh organic produce are harvested each growing season at Fenway Farms and served in the ballpark’s restaurants and concession areas.
More than a half million people interact with Fenway Farms annually, helping to expose thousands who have grown up in an urban setting to the food-growing process — often for the first time in their lives.
By partnering with Green Sports Alliance, MLB aims to support and incentivize water conservation across all its clubs and their communities.
The project will focus on restoring 30 million gallons of water to the critical 15-Mile Reach, a key stretch of the Colorado River that supports endangered fish, vital ecosystems, and downstream communities. The partnership encourages baseball fans and all individuals to join the fight for Colorado’s water resources by decreasing their own water footprint and learning more about the Colorado Water Trust.
© IMAGO
FOREST GREEN ROVERS, BIOPAK, AND COMPOST CONNECT
Compostable packaging supplier BioPak partnered with Forest Green Rovers (FGR), resulting in the club replacing all single-use plastic packaging with BioPak’s plant-based alternatives.
All of FGR’s organic waste and compostable packaging from the stadium is transported to Compost Connect’s industrial composting facility nearby to be turned into nutrient rich soil.
The partnership is expected to reduce FGR’s carbon emissions by nearly 19,000kg (enough to power 2,000 UK homes) and make enough compost to fill 100 10kg bags.
SUPER BOWL LVII’S FOOD WASTE INITIATIVE
Over a million fans gathered for the Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix in 2023, generating an estimated 2,000 tons of food waste and packaging.
To address this, the city collaborated with waste diversion company Denali to utilize their "depackaging" technology.
This innovative approach captured organic waste and produced compost, marking Denali's largest use of the technology and supporting the city's objective of achieving zero waste for the Super Bowl and its associated events.
WHAT CAN WE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS?
With the amount of waste that sports facilities inevitably produce, there is great potential to utilize it to achieve regenerative goals.
Take a look through our top five takeaways from these inspiring initiatives that the sports industry has led to see how you too can join the movement of using sports to combat the climate crisis:
Prioritize Regenerative Practices:
Recognize that the degradation of land over the centuries is a global concern. Embrace regenerative agriculture and land restoration practices that aim to capture more carbon, emit more oxygen, and improve soil health. These practices not only benefit the environment but also contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
Sustainable Operations:
Acknowledge the impact of sports operations on the environment and work toward more sustainable practices. Implement programs for composting, recycling, and water conservation, ensuring that sports facilities are used in ways that contribute to building sustainable communities.
Innovative Waste Reduction:
Develop innovative approaches to reduce waste associated with large sports events and to better use the waste that is generated. Initiatives like the Super Bowl LVII's Food Waste Initiative, which employed depackaging technology to capture organic waste and produce compost, demonstrate how sports events can achieve zero waste goals and reduce environmental impact.
Community Engagement:
Engage the community in sustainability efforts. Educational programs, signage, and public outreach are essential in fostering a culture of environmental responsibility among sports fans and local communities.
Partnerships for Sustainability:
Collaborate with environmental organizations and companies to promote sustainable initiatives. Partnerships with organizations like Green Sports Alliance, Change the Course, and local compost providers, as seen in the examples, can help drive water conservation, waste reduction, and other sustainability efforts.
We’ve seen it firsthand at 17 Sport – when sports organizations implement programs with the future of the planet in mind, they are choosing to lead by example in the fight against the climate crisis. This choice will ensure the industry’s ability to continue forward in the years to come.
ABOUT 17 SPORT
17 Sport exists to help businesses use the power of sport to build a more positive future for the world whilst accomplishing commercial goals.
Founded in 2020, our name is inspired by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and is anchored to SDG 17 and our profound belief in the power of partnerships. Based in 7 different countries on 3 continents, our global team of experts comprises individuals who have been at the forefront of the purpose revolution in sports and business for the last 15 years.
To find out how 17 Sport can help you activate your purpose through sports to help address the climate crisis, reach out to info@17-sport.com for a one on one consultation with one of our experts.