WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 05: Fans of Japan clean the stadium after the FIFA Women's World ... More Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Japan and Norway at Wellington Regional Stadium on August 05, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) FIFA via Getty Images Recycling and composting efforts in sports may now be an "expected baseline," but improvements are being made and innovation persists. International Day of Zero Waste is a reminder that the waste we produce isn’t just a blight on the environment, but an economic drain, costing the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year. From plastics and food to electronics and packaging, we churn out 2 billion tons of waste annually, the equivalent weight of 2,200 Golden Gate Bridges. Sport is no exception, the waste created at stadiums, events and tournaments adds to the mounting global crisis. An average NFL game can generate between 30 and 40 tons of waste. However, sport is taking action to tackle the problem. As major purchasers, influential role models, and community leaders, sports teams and venues are reducing waste and inspiring fans to do the same. “I see sports as a highly effective platform to promote waste reduction, reuse, and recovery efforts,” says Jonathan Casper, associate professor and sport management program coordinator at North Carolina State University. However, he believes that initiatives such as recycling and composting "have shifted over time from being a true point of differentiation to more of an expected baseline for most organizations.” Los Angeles, CA - February 15: Francisco Alvizar enjoys his lunch from Super Bowl food donations at ... More the Los Angeles Mission, Tuesday, Feb 15, 2022. In partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the Los Angeles Mission picked up prepared unserved food, beverages, and snacks from Super Bowl events will share that food locally. The Los Angeles Mission is also one of nearly two dozen nonprofit organizations that will receive items from the Super Bowl. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) MediaNews Group via Getty Images “Teams and organizations that are active in things like zero waste are getting better and better, but the industry as a whole still seems to be lagging behind,” shared Timothy Kellison, associate professor in the department of sport management at Florida State University. MORE FOR YOU NSA Warning—Change Your iPhone, Android Message Settings ‘Nobody Is Safe’—Shock Fed Trump Warning Could Suddenly Trigger Bitcoin Price Chaos Microsoft Warns 1 Billion Windows Users—Do Not Use Password Across the United States, sports venues from Atlanta to Austin have been certified as zero waste. Meanwhile, in Europe, many sports organizations have long made zero waste the standard, diverting 100% of waste from landfill through a combination of reduction, recycling, composting, food recovery, energy-from-waste, and rainwater and groundwater recovery. “I focus a lot on zero waste, and it’s not a panacea," says Kellison. "But the idea of it is really compelling, especially when you see it in action at huge events like a college football game or pro golf tournament.” 1. The Early Bird Catches The Worm The WM Phoenix Open, or "the greenest show on grass," has been certified as zero waste for 12 years. In 2024, 99.6% of waste was diverted from landfill through a mix of recovery of materials, recycling and donations. An innovative partnership with Arizona Worm Farm led to 21 tons of waste food being composted. In a mesmerising process, black soldier fly larvae are fed leftovers and break down the organic waste. These larvae are then transformed into high-protein meal for hens, which produce eggs that are donated to local food banks, closing the loop on food waste. WM Phoenix Open 2025 - MLB Green Scene WM Phoenix Open is a testing ground for trialing and refining sustainability-related practices for major sporting events. “It’s very much our lab,” says Lee Spivak, director of WM’s Advisory Services team. “We’ll try an idea, try an approach to a customer. Then we’ll scale it up here and take it to other customers.” It’s not just about sports organisations, it’s about fans too. “Sports can help show people that sustainable choices are possible and even easy,” Jonathan Casper noted. “I think one of the most powerful aspects of sports is their ability to influence fans and broader communities." A zero waste pitching station at WM Phoenix Open gamified composting and recycling, and encouraged attendees to engage with zero waste in a fun and interactive way. “When they start to care, the ripple effect of the influence doesn’t really end,” says Spivak. 2. Turning Beer Cans Into Bigger Bucks Recycling may not be a groundbreaking concept anymore, but Super Bowl champions’ the Philadelphia Eagles have found a new way to approach it. Instead of sending aluminium cans to their waste hauler alongside other recyclable materials, they sort and bail it themselves, for a higher financial return. The NFL team received permission from the league to serve beer to fans directly in cans, as long as the tops are popped beforehand, instead of pouring the beer into plastic cups. This simple change reduces waste. When it comes to recycling the cans, the difference between mixed and sorted recycling is substantial. "If cans are recycled alongside other materials, they make about $70 to $100 per ton," explains Norman Vossschulte, the Eagles’ vice president of fan engagement and sustainability. "But if you sort and bale the cans separately—sending only aluminium to an aluminium recycler—you can get about $1,000 to $1,400 per ton." Compacted can recycling. (Photo by Damian Gillie/Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images) Getty Images Leadership on sustainability and waste reduction, comes right from the top. "We are proud to serve as champions of sustainability throughout our operation," says president, Don Smolenski. “Sustainability is a large part of our organizational identity. Not only do our efforts directly impact our fans and the Philadelphia community, but our status as an NFL franchise affords us a unique platform to collaborate with other organizations around the world to mitigate the impact on our planet.” As well as looking for ways to reduce waste created within their own operations, sports organisations are raising awareness of environmental issues and tackling waste through campaigns. 3. Using Invasive Algae To Make Soccer Kits Spanish soccer club Real Betis has created an innovative kit made with textile fibres derived from an invasive algae, and recycled plastics collected from the ocean. Along the Andalusian coast, an uncontrolled invasion of algae is displacing native species and disrupting the natural balance of the aquatic ecosystem. The kit campaign is to alert soccer fans and the public about the environmental crisis caused by the algae, that has most likely arrived in Spanish waters through the ballast waters of merchant ships. Real Betis Balompie Foundation director Rafael Muela (C) along with divers holds up a new kit for ... More Spanish Liga team Real Betis Balompie which is made from algae and plastics collected from the bottom of the sea in Tarifa, southern Spain, on February 6, 2025. The team will wear the kit next February 16 in the Forever Green 2025 match at the Villamarín against Real Sociedad in an initiative which aims to make visible the effects of climate change and the problems that affect places like Tarifa and the rest of the coast. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO / AFP) (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images This is a small action across a widespread issue, but shows how soccer clubs can raise awareness of environmental issues with their fans. Speaking about the campaign, Real Betis soccer player Hector Bellerin shared, “fashion is the same as football – things that are very, very important in our daily lives, so they are key players that can truly make a difference.” This is not the first time Real Betis have collected waste to create new products, they also worked with partners to transform plastic from our oceans into stadium seats. 4. Fishing Nets Into Basketball Courts Another scourge of our oceans are “ghost nets." Lost or abandoned underwater fishing nets continue to trap everything in their path, from fish to turtles and dolphins, and harm delicate ecosystems. On the Brazilian coast, 25 million marine animals can be impacted each year. KARIMUNJAWA ISLANDS, INDONESIA - JUNE 12: A hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is seen ... More caught in fishing net known as 'ghost net' in Karimunjawa islands on June 12, 2022 in Central Java, Indonesia. A ghost net is a fishing net that’s been lost or abandoned in the ocean. They are one particularly egregious part of the global ghost fishing problem, which includes fishing gear abandoned in the water. Any net or line left in the ocean can pose a threat to marine life. (Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images) Getty Images The NBA and World Surf League may be unexpected partners, but they have teamed up to tackle this issue in Brazil through "Nets for Change." Over a ton of ghost nets have been collected and repurposed into basketball nets that benefit young people and communities. WSL and NBA share many values, says Ivan Martino, president of WSL Latam, “0f setting good examples through sports, of spreading positive messages, and one that is part of the DNA of both leagues is sustainability.” 5. Upcycling Into Furniture, Clothes and More Some products aren’t easy to recycle or reuse, and require creative solutions to keep them out of landfills. Through innovative thinking, sports organisations are engaging to support waste being transformed into anything from furniture to clothing. Coffee tables made from recycled badminton shuttlecocks, chairs made from recycled bottle caps and sofas made from crowd control barriers were all part of the athlete’s village at Paris 2024. The U.S. Open and Ralph Lauren collaborated to turn plastic tennis ball cans into apparel collections for umpires, ball teams, and spectators. In Belgium, eco-designer Mathilde Wittock receives donations from tennis clubs to make furniture from discarded tennis balls. LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Aidan Gallagher inside the drivers seat of the Recover E Car, a full ... More scale working model of a Formula E race car made entirely from electronic waste created to raise awareness of the growing issue of e waste and to encourage people to consider repairing and recycling their unwanted electronic items at ExCel London on July 27, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images) Getty Images To raise awareness of the growing problem of electronic waste, British Formula E team, Envision Racing, partnered with designers to build a driveable car made from iPhones, chargers, batteries and single-use vapes. The materials were sourced entirely from donations and unrepairable items from a technology trade-in company. Sports are both a source of waste and a force for change, with a unique opportunity to inspire sustainable practices on a massive scale. “Fans are far more likely to adopt sustainable behaviors when they see their favorite team leading by example, compared to receiving the same message from government agencies or corporations,” says Jonathan Casper. “Sport has a unique ability to connect with people emotionally, and that connection can be leveraged to drive real, lasting change.” Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website. Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades