THE SPORT CHAPTER
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IN THIS EDITORIAL: The nature of sport is all about pushing the boundaries of possibility and now we are seeing this energy being increasingly directed towards making
2026
this much-loved industry future-fit.
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WELCOME
Products of Change is a purpose-driven, not-for-profit membership organisation, working to drive and support sustainable change in the brand and licensing industry by turning ambition into action. Comprised of regularly updated educational resources and webinars, trade show activations, events, an annual conference, newsletters, and editorial publications, POC brings its ever-widening network together with the tools, guidance, and community to help you achieve your environmental goals within a supportive global network. To find out more about becoming a member, visit: productsofchange.com/membership. Unlike the other Chapters we have published this year, sport is far less vertical and covers such a broad spectrum of sectors and industries, all with interlocking parts and dependencies. This Chapter aims to capture a slice of each, with a focus on those that orbit around the licensing industries – so apparel, merchandise, events, and sporting goods. We are fortunate at POC to have a Sports Ambassador, Simon Gresswell, who is in and amongst conversations around sustainability in sport on a daily basis. So, to open the Chapter, Simon shares his observations and standout insights from across the sporting industry, documenting how it is evolving on its sustainability journey, the pace of change, and the urgency of such change – something that has recently become almost impossible to ignore. There is no doubt that climate change is already having a profound impact on the way sport is played, from the grassroots up to the professional, and this of course has a knock-on effect on the rest of the industry and the products and services that support it. We’ll dive into this a little deeper and highlight some of the fantastic associations and programmes tackling this, the legislation that is most pertinent to the industry, and the eye-opening innovations that will enable it to take its next steps. A thank you goes out to all those who contributed their time and insights to this Chapter: Chris Allen, Decathlon; Shaun Bajada, ASGA; Joanna Czutkowna, 5Thread; Leigh Fletcher, Wilson; Simon Gresswell, POC; Lian Huddle, Designworks; Jessica Lenhart, US Polo; McLaren; Roberta Montagnoli and Paul Goldsmith, Event Merch; The Mills Fabrica; Marcus Parry, Tottenham Hotspur FC; and Tamara Sender Ceron, Mintel.
10 WHAT’S
INSIDE Insights from POC’s Sport Ambassador
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Operations fit for the future
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The sustainability race in sports apparel
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KATHRYN BRAND Editor and Content Manager
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CONTENTS
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Sporting data points
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Equipped for change
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Legislating your field
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Future Forecast Report
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Detoxifying performance wear
Copyright© 2026. While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of publication, the publishers cannot accept legal liability for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility for the standing of advertisers nor any organisation mentioned in the text. Views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the publishers.
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INSIGHTS
INSIGHTS FROM POC’S SPORT AMBASSADOR,
SIMON GRESSWELL The sporting world has such a broad spectrum of stakeholders, from brands to retailers to merchandisers, events to federations and physical to digital outputs (on and off sport spaces, fields, pitches, courts, courses and water etc). And this is all not to mention the human element: athletes, players, managers, coaches and a myriad of support staff… and the biggest and most important group of all, the fans, as we quaintly know ourselves! Add to that many different types and distances of travel, event hospitality, sponsor and broadcast partners and you have a whole universe of sustainability opportunity… or waste possibility, depending on how you look at it. Puma stands out as one of the big brands in the biggest sports and it has perhaps made the most progress with its RE:FIBRE programme which produces garments made up of
BELOW: POC’s Sport meeting at The Mills Fabrica earlier in 2026. Credit: POC.
95% recycled textiles and other waste materials. We were fortunate to have execs from Puma join us at our last POC Sports meeting at one of the football Clubs they work closely with… you may have heard of them, Man City FC. Reflo also stands out as a very fastgrowing, challenger brand, with perhaps the biggest goal all: becoming the most sustainable sportswear brand in the world. Wimbledon and the
How is the sporting world evolving in terms of sustainability? In one word, gradually.
AELTC have sought to include a whole raft of sustainability measures over the mid/ long-term already, from less visible ones like recycling the famous tennis balls, to more sustainable food choices in some of the hospitality areas and more overt ones such as the living walls and roofs of some of the famous Club’s infrastructure. While working on strategy with the International Federation for Equestrian ABOVE: Simon Gresswell, POC’s Sport Ambassador. Credit: POC. Sports (FEI) a couple of years ago, I was told about The Helsinki International Horse Show in 2019, which used 100 tons of horse manure collected from regularly competing horses in the series, to generate 150 megawatt-hours of electricity. This powered the entire four-day Longines FEI World Cup Jumping event, including arena lights, scoreboards, and phone charging stations, while supplying surplus heat to local homes… and this was seven years ago already, pretty impressive! And in the electric-powered and wind-powered sports arenas, pioneered by the likes of Formula E and SailGP, a special mention to the still relatively nascent E1 Series, an electric racing boats series, founded on the celebrity investor franchise model, with the likes of Rafa Nadal, Tom Brady, Virat Kohli and Will Smith among its Team leads. It has, more interestingly for the environment, the overall, long-term objective of helping to convert all marine traffic to electric power, sometime in the future. Mass participations events are various… and there are a huge amount of these now, with massive increases in triathlon and open water swimming over recent years and all the product, hydration and fuel considerations. Organisations big and small like World Triathlon Organisation (WTO), Race for Life and Human Race, have worked hard to return their racecourses (the environment) to their original state and have also campaigned tirelessly for their critical elements, like clean water to participate in. Special mention here to the British Triathlon Federation, who just last week (at time of writing) launched a KitHub, working with the company Kit Revolution, creating a dedicated space to buy, sell, swap, and donate surplus and pre-loved triathlon kit. When it comes to digital output, the best example I’ve
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INSIGHTS Pushing back the domestic rugby season here, as has heard of is already nearly 10 years been announced, is of course a first world problem, but old, when Sky Sports and outside the heat now annually associated with major events broadcast partner, Telegenic, like the Australian Open (AO) in Melbourne or this pioneered remote broadcast summer here in Europe, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and in the Super League, Rugby much of the cricket season, is being seriously affected League’s premier competition from the top to the grassroots of many sports. in the Northern Hemisphere. In a few more than three words, the continued When a Canadian franchise commercialisation of sport and the desire for bigger, better, was established, the Toronto more frequent and just MORE, in so many major, global Wolfpack RLFC, the technical broadcast team and individual sports, has led to the establishment partnership, used fixed cameras and minimal air miles and of challenger series, leagues and staffing, to direct and produce some of their home games, from LEFT: POC Sport Members on a tour their offices in High Wycombe. of Performance Without Toxicity It’s already some years exhibition. Credit: POC. since the then Arsenal player, tours, all of which contribute more Hector Bellerin, created a cool, to long-term sustainability and sustainable range of clothing eco challenges, on a macro level. with H&M, but we haven’t While it’s impossible to be seen a lot of these kinds of objective, given some sporting initiatives led by footballers, the events and federations will most world’s biggest sport by far. likely continue to make largely And if we stick with football, profit-over-purpose decisions as the world’s biggest and to host major events in climates most obvious commercial that dictate the need for aircircus and area for debate, I conditioned stadia, in order to am mindful that big Clubs attract the core fan, it’s as clear as a bell to the fans how and Federations should be leading in sustainability, not daily life (sport included) could be further negatively just expecting that the fans can make all the difference. affected by the slow pace of change and, in particular But could these two traditionally adversarial groups, come this year, by the overt signs of climate change. together sometime soon, on one or both of two initiatives: As alluded to above, the more climate change, the 1. Less iterations of Club shirts each season more dangers and the greater the need for use of other (hat tip to Brentford FC for their initiative natural resources to counter its effects. Water and fossil a couple of seasons ago) and/or – fuels (generated primarily via electricity) make up 2. The much bigger and more controversial opportunity extensive cooling techniques, already huge features of for disruption, to evolve to a subscription model or full rest and recovery in sport, whether that’s ice baths for loop manufacture, for football shirt purchase each season team sports, ice-jackets for cycling classics like the Tour (myself and associate in this area, Joanna Czutkowna, de France, or refrigerated towels for players at ATP & would be very happy to WTA tennis events. NB…I am not 100% across how some speak to Clubs about this). It of these things are cooled but would love to know! may not be viewed as ideal to The leading sporting goods manufacturers and industry have to return your shirt, but associations, ALL have sustainability initiatives and that’s an individual’s choice, continually evolving plans at the top of their collective and individuals do have a part agendas. And key category-leading brands to play… just as they do when LEFT: Simon at the like Patagonia and Berghaus, have wellthey decide to wear the same Sport Positive Summit. publicised eco plans and as referred to clothes, make-up or footwear Credit: Simon Gresswell. earlier, even brands that are only five that one of their sport, fashion, BELOW: POC Sport years old, like REFLO, are able to – and lifestyle, music heroes Members. Credit: POC. choose to – lead the way in this area. do! Habits need change Individual and team sports have for and can change quickly, many years been creating and refining but they need leaders their sustainability plans and activities. and role models, more We probably all expect F1 to become than influencers IMHO. a hydrocell-powered sport at some But most challenges future point… but do we know when? and barriers, ironically UEFA has comprehensive sustainability come down to a three guidelines, in part authored by word summary: climate, industry colleague and sustainability climate and climate. in sport specialist, Joanna Czutkowna, As we’ve seen this summer, but it is down to individual member climate change is wreaking associations as to what they pick up havoc on landscapes, from these and when they implement. nature, urban areas and of With Paris 2024, where athletes were course sports. Ultimately consistently at risk from heat and the this drives a much greater FIFA World Cup in Qatar – already two demand on resources and and four years ago respectively, the obvious question to capital expenditure, which is likely to be diverted from raise and debate further is always, what’s really changed...? other (green) areas or passed on in some way, to fans.
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OPERATIONS
OPERATIONS FIT FOR
THE FUTURE ABOVE: Pollinator monitors situated around Spurs’ training ground. Credit: Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Sport has the power to shape behaviour far beyond the pitch, track or stadium – and its sustainability leaders are proving that climate action can be both urgent and inspirational.
which could reportedly erode up to $1.6 trillion off annual revenue by the middle of the century. To tackle this, The World Economic Forum has developed the Sports for People and Planet insight report to highlight the urgency for action, from both public and private bodies. BELOW: Spurs’ reuseable cup scheme. Credit: Tottenham Hotspur FC.
Sport as a category, encompasses so much, from grassroots to professional, across fans and athletes themselves, and the myriad brands, associations and organisations that enable it. Perhaps the most visible of all and the way many people interact with sport is through the events, sporting bodies and professional teams: following their favourite team or club, attending matches or games, visiting stadiums. And it is these sporting bodies that have the most profound influence – over their fans and followers – and can wield it to exert positive change that transcends the sports world into everyday culture. On the other side, they are also at an especial risk as climate change begins its disruptive influence. The World Economic Forum estimates the global sports economy is worth $2.3 trillion and is projected to reach $8.8 trillion by 2050, however this is at severe risk due to rapidly accelerating environmental challenges,
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OPERATIONS Few will not have observed that increasing occasions of sporting events being disrupted or cancelled due to inclement weather. Take this past summer in the UK and Europe for a recent and stark example. The record-breaking heatwaves and prolonged periods of drought have led to relocated and delayed matches, implementation of mid-game cooling and refreshment breaks, as venue infrastructure struggled to cope with the heat and keep fans and players safe. Even at a grassroots level, pitches became so hard that games have been cancelled due to fear of injury; the RFU community rugby season has delayed its start from 5 September to 21 September for this reason. Not to mention the sports grounds impacted by rampant wildfires. During the other half of the year, torrential rain or subzero temperatures are causing disruption from professional to local. Football for Future reports that 120,000 English grassroots matches are called off annually due to the weather, with 25% of English clubs anticipated to be flooded by 2050. “We need to create the biggest movement the world has ever seen, to tackle the biggest threat that humanity has ever faced,” Football for Future urged. This is where sporting associations and clubs have an opportunity: an opportunity to use their influence to help safeguard their future. And there are many who are seizing this wholeheartedly. Take the Australian Open, which has developed the AO Circular Design Guidelines, a tool for delivery teams, agencies, designers and builders that shape the footprint of the temporary build of the Australian Open. AO is encouraging everyone to use it to better understand and adopt circular design practices, increase the use of responsible materials, and track the circularity outcomes of these endeavours. “Everything we build can play again” is the goal of the guidelines, with targets for a 10% reduction in waste per year and a 10% increase in material reuse by AO27. The Australian Open also employs the business case to highlight why such efforts are essential. It purports that circular design enhances its reputation and elevates the bottom line for both AO and its suppliers. AO stated that building from scratch each year does not make fiscal sense so where materials can be reused, they should, bringing down costs. It also reduces the risk of supply chain disruption and material shortages that are becoming ever more common due to both geopolitical tensions and climate change-related disruption. Also leveraging its influence is Tottenham Hotspur FC, which is working hard to embed sustainability into its Club operations, with Marcus Parry, its sustainability manager, at the helm. Since 2022, the Club has reduced operational greenhouse gas emissions by 32.6%. In 2025, total energy consumption reduced by a further 2.6% (over 900,000 kWh) despite a 62% increase in third-party events, demonstrating
LEFT: Spurs encourages biodiversity on its grounds. Credit: Tottenham Hotspur FC.
that operational efficiency can improve alongside growth. Operating under the ISO 20121:2024 Sustainable Event Management System, sustainability is integrated into everyday decision-making through robust governance, continual improvement and real-time optimisation of heating, cooling, lighting and electrical systems. “We source 100% renewable electricity, ensuring environmental performance is embedded across the Club rather than delivered through standalone initiatives,” said Marcus. Its food has been a key driver of this, introducing seaweed-based food packaging to replace almost 1.8 million single-use plastic items, and balancing its menu options in favour of lower-carbon alternatives such as wild venison and fermented vegetables in place of beef. “More than 40% of the General Admission menu is vegan, vegetarian or plant-forward, while 80% of food suppliers are located within 50 miles of the Stadium, supporting lowercarbon procurement and local supply chains,” said Marcus. He added: “Our ambition extends beyond carbon reduction. Recognising that there is a nature crisis as well as a climate crisis, Tottenham Hotspur became the first Premier League club to join the Sports for Nature Framework in 2025, committing to protect and restore biodiversity alongside reducing carbon emissions.”
The Sports for Nature Framework was created to deliver transformative action across sports by 2030 and beyond, operating across four key principles: Principle 1: Protect nature and avoid damage to natural habitats and species GOAL: Commit to protecting and avoiding damage to natural habitats and species, including respecting protected areas. Principle 2: Restore and regenerate nature wherever possible GOAL: Take positive action to restore and regenerate nature in and around the indoor and outdoor environments where we operate. Principle 3: Understand and reduce risks to nature in your supply chains GOAL: Reduce risks to nature and enable opportunities to conserve and restore nature in our supply chains, linking wherever possible to climate goals. Principle 4: Educate and inspire positive action for nature across and beyond sport GOAL: Educate and inspire greater awareness and action for nature within our sport and our wider communities and stakeholders.
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PRODUCTS OF CHANGE SUPPORTERS 2026
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OPERATIONS
ABOVE: The Oval, London, hosted the Sport Positive Summit 2024. Credit: Simon Gresswell.
The Framework recognises the potential and power sport wields to exert huge amounts of influence, since they are often the leaders and figureheads people look to for inspiration. They offer a channel of communication about the climate crisis that is accessible to so many more people. Where they lead, others will follow. McLaren Racing has taken this on board, assessing: what can we do that would have the most visibility and demonstrate our innovation, expertise and industry-leading position in sustainability? Developing a circular Formula 1 car, of course. Setting its sights on this ambition back in 2021, Mclaren realised it needed to mitigate the risk of global resource pressures and reduce its impact. “Our ambition to create a circular Formula 1 car provides a unifying goal that aligns teams and drives progress across materials, manufacturing and operations,” McLaren said in its 2025 Sustainability Report. “By working towards circularity at the highest level of performance, we signal demand to suppliers, strengthen supply chain resilience, improve resource efficiency and unlock new ways of working. Innovation in Formula 1 has always led the way, and the progress we make here has the potential to drive wider change across our business, our sport and consumer industries.” Read McLaren’s Sustainability Report for greater detail on its progress on this project. While the Circular F1 car serves as a fantastic spotlight initiative, McLaren is doing plenty more work behind the scenes. It cites joining
Products of Change this year as a driver of its responsible merchandise and reuse, including resale of 10,000 items of surplus stock, raising money for charities. It has also reused and recycled volumes of uniforms, rebranding them for different events, rather than disposing of them. As the bigger players in the sporting industry continue to adopt more sustainable practices and communicate effectively about them, more will follow suit, supported by the numerous organisations set up solely to support the industry with its transition, such as the Sports for Nature Framework, Green Sports Alliance, and Football for Future. As we know, power in numbers is everything and when industries come together to solve challenges, the burden is much lighter and fosters a new competitiveness for innovation.
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APPAREL
THE SUSTAINABILITY RACE IN SPORTS APPAREL
Sports apparel faces many of fashion’s toughest sustainability problems, but without the same sector-specific legislation, however, new circularity charters, material innovations, and brand initiatives are emerging, showing the sector’s drive to move from ambition to action. When it comes to sustainability and sporting apparel, the fashion industry is something of bunk mate and has become more so in recent years, sharing much of the same challenges (which we covered in detail in the Fashion Chapter earlier this year). Sportswear is not at all reserved for those partaking in sporting activities, but have long since been fashion staples, bolstered by the advent of ‘athleisure.’ But while it overlaps, in many ways, with fashion, it also has its own unique identity and sustainability challenges. Whether it is high-spec professional kit, licensed fan apparel, athleisure, or everything in between, it does comprise quite a broad spectrum of formats. However, something they all largely have in common is the prevalence of polyester and synthetic materials and finishes, which makes them difficult to recycle, reliant on fossil-fuel resource streams, and completely resistant to biodegradation. As we highlighted in the Fashion RIGHT: A Blunt Story’s footwear materials from agricultural residues, plant oils, recycled textiles. Credit: Calum Barlow. BELOW: Bales of textiles for recycling. Credit: 5Thread.
Chapter, apparel and the fashion industry pose a major environmental challenge, generating approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (UNCC), with enough clothes on Earth to dress the next six generations of the world’s population, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. And there is legislation gradually coming into place, particularly in Europe and California that is tackling this problem. But where does this leave sports apparel? While much of it is still covered by the legislation, it lacks specific regulatory frameworks bespoke to the sports industry or to sport licensees. But there are organisations that have arisen to help shoulder this burden. The Sustainable Sports Apparel Charter was developed for exactly this purpose, set up and tested by numerous professional sports organisations all the way through to grassroots. Its signatories include the Royal Yachting Association, British Triathlon, and Paralympics GB. The Charter provides a practical sustainability framework for goals that are reasonably within a company’s control. “We see the charter as almost like a foundation, so you don’t stop there. But this is the basics that we expect everybody to have to build upon,” said Joanna Czutkowna, director of 5Thread. “Ultimately you need to be taking action now; we’ve passed the time for getting our house in order; we need to really start to create that change.” The goal is to mitigate any barriers to sustainability – companies can pledge or become full signatories to it and receive quarterly support over the two-year framework
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APPAREL period and be certified at the end of the pathway. It can also be used to overcome internal barriers, in particular financially, by helping to identify the business case. “If your business model is based on selling new product and you can’t change that, how do you improve it? So how can you assess the retail offer that you’ve got and actually still create that revenue, but while having less impact environmentally?” said Joanna. This is something U.S. Polo Assn, has been working closely on, with the launch of its USPA LIFE Polo Shirt globally for the spring/summer 2027 season. It brings together the best of the sustainable capabilities of each of its regional licensees, including recycled or organic cotton, buttons and trim made of preferred materials, and a QR code on the swing tag to signpost its credentials. “As an icon born from the game, the U.S. Polo Assn. polo shirt is our most recognisable and best-selling product,” said Jessica Lenhart, director of sustainability at USPA Global/U.S. Polo Assn. “The USPA LIFE Polo Shirt brings together the very best in sustainability from our partners around the world while maintaining the value and quality customers expect.” Initiatives like this prove that, when integrated well and set as a standard company-wide, consumers can be onboard when there is a story to get behind and quality is not compromised, especially when it is from a recognised and trusted brand. This “myth of commerciality” as Joanna refers to it – the idea we can and have to only generate revenue from the linear model of selling a product – is continuing to be challenged by sporting leaders. Take Brentford FC,
ABOVE: Sportswear stock. Credit: 5Thread.
for example, which has been making waves by rolling over its kit of more than one season, while freezing its prices, making fan kit more accessible to its fans. “We don’t lack innovation,” said Joanna “There’s a lot out there. I think it’s the adoption of that and the scale of that. But I think, ultimately, it’s about people in positions of power taking decisions to do things differently. That’s going to be the most exciting thing. […] “I think what we’re really looking to is leaders who are taking that on because they really believe it aligns with the core values of their club or brand.”
You can see a whole host of innovation and the brands that are adopting it on page 12 from The Mills Fabrica exhibition Performance Without Toxicity. From seaweed-based elastane, fibres made from graphene, and completely circular textiles, the solutions are available and ready to be adopted, they just need the brands to take that step. Any many are, such as Puma with its RE:FIBRE programme, which produces garments made from 95% recycled textiles and LEFT: Performance Without Toxicity other waste materials. exhibition at The Mills Or Reflo, a fastFabrica. Credit: Calum Barlow. growing sustainable BELOW: TeraMira’s sportswear brand, seaweed-based with Harry Kane as elastane alternative for circular stretch. investor and promoter, Credit: Calum Barlow. and holding licences for the R&A for The Open Championship, The Dubai 7s, Luton Town FC, and Forest Green Rovers FC. Another great example comes from the Australian Sporting Goods Association, with its Tread Lightly initiative. Specifically targeting sporting footwear, Tread Lightly exists to find solutions to the 23 billion pairs of shoes produced globally each year; the 98% of used shoes that end up in landfill; and the 1,000 years it takes on average for shoe components to decompose. The initiative collects footwear, 30% of which is donated, and 70% recycled into outdoor concrete pavers, rubber flooring for gym facilities and industrial spaces, or punching bags filled with granulated rubber and textile fibre. To date, Tread Lightly has recycled one million pairs of shoes, collected from 937 collection points, diverting 500,000kg from landfill, and saving three billion litres of water and six million kg of CO2. And major sporting and footwear brands and organisations are getting in on the action, including: Nike, Adidas, Asics, Converse, New Balance, Merrell, Clarks, Ecco, Hush Puppies, Puma, Dunlop, and more. Sports footwear is notoriously hard to recycle, due to its multitude of materials and components, but the Australian Goods Association has demonstrated that recycling solutions are possible, and at scale. “We really need to remove any barriers to action and get people going,” said Joanna. “It’s that famous quote: ‘We don’t need 1% doing sustainability perfectly, we need everybody doing it imperfectly,’ so if we can give people structures and frameworks to help them. Let’s get going with this, because, like we said, time is of the essence, isn’t it?” In the following pages, you can read more about the innovators and brands steering away from materials that are causing environmental damage, as well as insights from Mintel on the growing consumer interest in natural fibres and rental and repair services for their sportswear.
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INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT
DET XIFYING PERFORMANCE WEAR
Products of Change Partner, The Mills Fabrica, demonstrates that our top performance wear no longer needs to rely on synthetics with no end of life solutions.
Sportswear has always been at the cutting edge, utilising the latest material innovation and pushing the boundaries of possibilities – for both product and human capability. By definition it is there to enhance and support the performance of athletes, but for a number of decades now it has developed an overreliance on fossil fuel-based materials and coatings, the impacts of which are increasingly being questioned, from human health to environmental degradation. However, there are alternative solutions out there: the pioneers, innovators and questioners of the norm that have developed materials and products that readdress our understanding of what performance wear needs to be, and centres longevity and sustainability into the very essence of the design, rather than as an afterthought.
FUTURE FOOTWEAR: INNOVATION IN EVERY STEP Even everyday shoes are designed to protect our feet, providing them with comfort and support, and the standard for this goes even further for performance footwear. But this means a single pair can contain ABOVE: Vivobarefoot: over 60 different materials, Minimalist footwear brand limiting or completely ruling supporting natural movement out their recyclability at endusing circular materials. of-life so that nearly 90% of the 24 billion pairs of shoes sold each year are landfilled or incinerated. But BELOW: SOLK: ‘Made-to-fade’ brands and innovators biocircular, fully compost capable. are making progress to combat this, choosing lower-impact materials, cutting carbon, chemical and water use, and developing modular and mono-material constructions that support circularity without compromising performance.
There is no better focus for this conversation or purveyor of information on this topic than from innovation hub and POC Partner, The Mills Fabrica, or more specifically, its Performance Without Toxicity exhibition from earlier this year. Products of Change hosted its Sports Meeting at the Mills Fabrica, where attendees got a private tour of the showcase. The exhibition featured a curated assortment of the products and companies that have tackled this problem head-on and come out the other end with the solutions, across the four categories below. It is a glimpse both into the future of high-functioning apparel where the planet is no longer an after-thought, as well as an insight into the very real applications of this innovation right now and the brands already using them to stand above the crowd.
GREENER CHEMISTRIES
Performance wear is oftentimes the way that it is because it is enhanced beyond just the blend of fibres. It is treated with coatings, membranes, finishes, repellents, dyes and functional additives that provide water, stain, or odour resistance, UV protection, stretch and comfort. Such additives, such as perABOVE: Amphico: and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS-free recyclable (PFAS) have for a long time been waterproof textiles and waterless colouration. used without deeper analysis of their impact: their resistance to breaking down, creating a barrier to recycling, reuse, and circularity, their accumulation in ecosystems and human bodies and the health risks BELOW: Colorifix: Microbebased dyeing to produce associated with them. and fix pigments. But innovation is now revolutionising coatings to offer the same performance but without persistent or harmful chemicals, for reduced ecological and hominid contamination, and better circularity.
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INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT
All images courtesy of Calum Barlow via The Mills Fabrica.
REIMAGING MATERIALS: PERFORMANCE WITHOUT PETROCHEMICALS It was the mid-20th century when petrochemicals, such as nylon, were first popularised in clothing, lending stretch, durability, breathability and lightness – perfect attributes for performance wear. These days, more than 60% of global fibre production is made of fossil fuel-based synthetics, largely polyester. However, the cost of this is the production of greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic shedding into the environment, and reliance on chemical treatments that are ABOVE: Hyosung TNC: Global elastane leader integrating sustainability across textile operations. LEFT: Nanoloom: Non-toxic graphene-based fibres replacing synthetics.
ABOVE: Supercarb: Plastic-free performance fibres from food and seaweed waste.
bioaccumulative and cause human and ecological harm. But it is being shown that high performance is not necessarily dependent on virgin petrochemicals; that there are in fact numerous natural fibres that have been utilised by humanity for thousands of years, and a new generation of materials that have been developed to replace conventional synthetics.
BEYOND DURABILITY: DESIGNING FOR LONGEVITY AND CIRCULARITY
ABOVE: BIORESTORE: Re-Tergnt treatments repairing, restoring and renewing garments. LEFT: Finisterre: Functional long-lasting clothing reducing marine environmental impact.
Durability is often a key feature of performance wear, but indestructability relies on synthetics invariably meaning it cannot be broken down at end-of-life. Keeping garments
in use for longer is a meaningful contribution to the circular economy – but crucially there still needs to be an end-of-life solution for it when it does meet its end. Since large proportions of ABOVE: Resortecs: Heat-dissolvable threads enabling textile recycling. our performance wear these days is made from synthetic materials that shed microplastics as they degrade, new approaches to design and care are needed for them at end-of-life. Longevity is an important piece of the circular puzzle to complement other endeavours. Effective and innovative durability can look like repairability, modular and adaptable design, as well as timeless design for style durability. Providing consumers with the information they need to look after their products and prolong their life, such as through washing practices, can support this. On a large scale, the adoption of brand and retail-led textile-to-textile recycling can keep materials and fibres in use for longer. The focus needs to be on longevity rather than infinite durability through thoughtful design and responsible care to reshape the lifecycle of performance wear.
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RESEARCH
SPORTING DATA POINTS
Market intelligence research firm, Mintel, has shared extracts of its data from its Sportswear and Performance Wear UK 2026 Report, showing consumer demand for rental, repair, and nontoxic materials in their sportswear. Tamara Sender Ceron shares her analysis of the data.
MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN DECIDING WHAT SPORTSWEAR/ PERFORMANCE WEAR TO BUY
“What is important to you when deciding what sportswear/performance wear to buy?” Base: 1,503 internet users aged 16+ who have bought sportswear/performance wear (including footwear) in the last 12 months
Sample
Made from non-toxic materials (eg natural fibres, without microplastics)
1503
17%
Male 16-24
132
24%
Male 25-44
309
23%
Male 45-64
234
12%
Male 65+
90*
2%
Female 16-24
122
16%
Female 25-44
304
20%
Female 45-64
212
12%
Female 65+
94*
15%
Gender other than male/ female, any age
6*
–
All Gender and age
* Small sub-sample: 75 to 100 is a low base size; below 75, the base size is too low for data to be meaningful so the data points are not displayed. Source: Mintel. Research Partner: Kantar Profiles. Fieldwork: March 2026
Young people are leading healthier lifestyles and spending more of their disposable income on fitness and buying sportswear. As 23% of Gen Z shoppers place high importance on items made from non-toxic materials when purchasing sportswear, this shows that younger generations are becoming more aware of the impact of forever chemicals/PFAS and microplastics from textiles on their bodies and health. Regulations banning PFAS are pushing brands to remove some of these toxic materials from their supply chains and to develop new alternative performance materials and partner with next gen material innovators. A combination of rising awareness among young people who are the main sportswear shoppers and regulations is accelerating change and means there are growing opportunities for brands to tap into this with ‘clean’ sports and outdoor clothing and footwear ranges.
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RESEARCH
INTEREST IN WHAT SPORTSWEAR/PERFORMANCE WEAR RETAILERS SHOPPED AT SHOULD OFFER
“Thinking of the retailers/brands you have bought sportswear/performance wear from in the last 12 months, which of these would you be interested in them offering? Please select all that apply.” Base: 1,503 internet users aged 16+ who have bought sportswear/performance wear (including footwear) in the last 12 months
Sample
Option to have sportswear/ performance wear items repaired or refreshed
Rental services for occasional sports (eg skiing, surfing)
1,503
18%
12%
Male 16-24
132
28%
19%
Male 25-44
309
24%
17%
Male 45-64
234
13%
10%
Male 65+
90*
13%
1%
Female 16-24
122
17%
25%
Female 25-44
304
22%
13%
Female 45-64
212
10%
3%
Female 65+
94*
10%
0%
Gender other than male/ female, any age
6*
–
–
All Generation
* Small sub-sample: 75 to 100 is a low base size; below 75, the base size is too low for data to be meaningful so the data points are not displayed. Source: Mintel. Research Partner: Kantar Profiles. Fieldwork: March 2026
There are opportunities for offering more circular services for sportswear and performance wear and making them part of the story of the brand. There is scope to appeal to young people who are leading healthier lifestyles and spending more of their disposable income on fitness and buying sportswear. These younger generations are also the most open to using alternative retail models and renting items for occasional sports such as skiing and surfing rather than buying new. Rental will become more normalised for certain categories as ownership models shift and consumers have less storage space. Young men show growing interest in retailers offering the option to have sportswear / performance wear items repaired or ref reshed and brands can use this to drive loyalty. Alpkit, which has seen a 33% growth in spend over the last two years, has repair stations at all of its 10 stores and describes this service as its best selling product. A growing trend for visible repairs taps into the rising importance of helping customers bond with their fashion items. Outdoor brand Rab offers a low impact second stitch repair service that uses offcut materials and visible patches to make it unique and promote the customer’s product journey, tapping into its emotional durability. To read the full report, search Mintel Sportswear and Performance Wear UK 2026 Report and contact POC for 20% off.
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SPORTING GOODS AND MERCHANDISE
EQUIPPED FOR CHANGE We have spoken about apparel, we have spoken about the stadiums and sporting associations themselves, but there is also the whole world of sporting goods: the equipment that is fundamental to the sports, the event merch that becomes keepsakes, and the retailers that offer us the purchasing experience we savour. When it comes to sporting goods and equipment, there is an expectation that it must fulfil a specific purpose and do so well, meaning quality, durability, and functionality are key considerations. But quite often sporting equipment is heavily used, exposed to the elements and this means it can wear out. This is something Decathlon understands keenly, and has been embracing, by integrating circular practices and services into its consumer experience, both online and on the shopfloor. Since 2020, revealed Chris Allen, Decathlon UK’s director of sustainability and head of circular economy, Decathlon designers have had the mandate to design for circularity, meaning they are designing for products to be repairable, for spare parts to be available to consumers, and designing for durability so that products last a long time but then still continue to ask: ‘how can we make it last even longer?’ The repairability is a crucial part of this offering as not only are the products designed to be repairable, but Decathlon offers the repairing services in-house for its customers – something it has in fact been doing since it opened back in the 70s, mainly for bikes. But since 2018/19 this has continued to expand to also cover SUPs, kayaks, tents, poles, textiles and large sports equipment, as that is where the volume of waste lies if they are to be disposed of instead of repaired. “We have spare parts available; we’ve upskilled teams,” said Chris. And what cannot be repaired in its in-store hubs, can be sent to Decathlon’s national refurbishment centre.
Per year, Decathlon provides approximately 20,000 warranty repairs, and 60,000 paid-for repairs by consumers, even repairing products from other retailers. But Decathlon’s circularity initiatives don’t stop at repair. It also has a second life tag on its website where customers can find and identify refurbed products that Decathlon has made available for sale. Crucially this is also integrated into its shopfloors, with a selection of such items available in its brick-and-mortar stores. Decathlon refurbs about 20,000 items a year and has also recently begun to offer buy back opportunities for its customers, which sees another 10,000 items acquired and refurbed. Chris explained that this is where the company is seeing the biggest driver of its circular transition, with 30,000 refurbed items resold each year. “The integration of our services within a traditional retail environment, that was a big shift. So, we integrated a workshop on the shopfloor where people could see it, integrating used products next to new products so people could shop like-for-like,” commented Chris. How to communicate this to the customer has been a key component. Reframing the promotion of these initiatives from environmentally-led to ABOVE AND BELOW: Decathlon now buys back products from customers to repair and re-sell. Credit: Decathlon.
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SPORTING GOODS AND MERCHANDISE
money saving-led – how getting product repaired, or buying second-life, or selling their products back to Decathlon, can all save the consumer money. This is what resonated. It is not that people don’t care about sustainability, it just can’t be expected to be the sole driver of consumer behaviour, particularly not en masse. This is what we come back to time and time again with sustainability conversations – how price and quality are key, and this perhaps is most true when it comes to sports goods as performance is everything. “One of the biggest challenges for Wilson, and the sporting goods industry as a whole, is balancing sustainability with product performance,” said Leigh Fletcher, head of golf UK & Ireland, Wilson. “There is the added responsibility of ensuring products meet high standards for performance, durability, and safety. As a result, innovation often requires balancing sustainability goals with the quality and performance that athletes and consumers expect, making progress both an opportunity and an ongoing challenge.” Nevertheless, Wilson has been making strides to improve everything that falls within its sphere of power. The company is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050 and reducing its Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030, in line with SBTi validated targets. In doing so, Wilson has identified key emissions hotspots across products and operations, enabling more targeted reduction efforts, supported by Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). This all comes under Wilson’s initiative to ‘Protect Home Field,’ including a focus on its packaging, reducing plastic and increasing recycled content use, such as removing plastic sleeves f rom its steel-shafted golf club sets, eliminating unnecessary material use. Meanwhile, it is incorporating lower-impact materials into its products, exploring the use of recycled and bio-based materials, such as its Gen Green Capsule Collection. Sustainability is prioritised at Wilson because, not only does the company recognise the threat it poses via climate change to sports across the globe, but it recognises the influence it has to leverage its impact. “The sporting goods industry has a unique opportunity to drive positive change because sports connect with millions of people around the world. Athletes and other influential figures can help raise awareness and inspire action, while brands can lead by example through their products, operations, and partnerships. Together, the industry can use its platform to promote healthier communities and more sustainable behaviours,” commented Leigh. And this reach can extend even further through merchandise for sporting events, connecting with often thousands of people at a time, a reach known well by Event Merchandising. Always adapting to new retail channels, new product supply and sustainability, while working with key unbranded suppliers, Event
Merchandising has implemented federations’ eco and sustainability requirements, even as far back as the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics. “At EML, our approach is increasingly focused on building sustainability into the merchandise process from the outset, looking at product choice, quantities, materials, packaging, supplier selection, logistics and what happens to surplus stock after an event,” commented Roberta Montagnoli, office and operations manager, at Event Merchandising. The company mainly buys organic cotton, sources as many products as locally as possible, and offers, for example, recycled plastic lanyards and recycled stainless steel bottles. The challenge with sourcing sustainably and ethically, is the lead times. “One of the biggest areas of progression we see is greater collaboration between rights holders, event organisers and merchandise partners at the procurement stage. Understanding an event’s sustainability priorities early allows us to build them into product selection, materials, packaging, production quantities, f reight and surplus planning rather than addressing them retrospectively. “We’ve recently been working with clients on exactly this approach and are looking at introducing event-specific sustainability checklists at the start of merchandise briefs ABOVE AND LEFT: Wilson is actively integrating sustainability to help establish into its operations and the creation measurable priorities of its sporting goods. Credit: Wilson. from the outset,” said Roberta. “We’re trying to educate our clients as early as we can to be more sustainable in that side of things and really think about merchandise as an important element, which they are doing more so,” added Paul Goldsmith, director at Event Merchandising. And this is having the desired effect; not only is it allowing sustainability conversations to be embedded into the planning process but is also demarcating EML as a company that cares about sustainability and will prioritise it, which is becoming more and more desirable in business partnerships. “It is a key element of how we run an event. I think that’s a good USP, and we’re proud to have that within us within our business,” commented Paul. “It’s the right message to put to put out there, and it’s important for the future.” Sustainability is undoubtedly an important optic for the sporting industry – an industry built on wellness, health, and the outdoors, all of which are threatened in some capacity by climate change and environmental negligence. And whether it is products, equipment, merchandise, events, or apparel, the increasing focus on and importance of sustainability is unavoidable. The companies that are forging ahead are those that are embracing this wholeheartedly and adapting to this changing way of doing business.
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LEGISLATION
LEGISLATING YOUR FIELD
When it comes to legislation, there is little – if any – specifically for the sporting industry, however the numerous sectors that sports and play covers are certainly being impacted by current and upcoming regulations, particularly in the UK and European Union.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
There are eight core pieces of sustainability legislation that are most relevant to sporting operations, affecting toys, games, sport equipment, apparel, footwear, licensed merchandise, packaging, and electronically enabled products. ECO-DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS REGULATION (ESPR) ESPR is one of the most impactful pieces of legislation, forcing long-term product change. It enables requirements covering durability, repairability, recycled content, environmental footprints, substances of concern and digital product passports. Textiles and footwear are among the priority product groups, so sportswear, teamwear, and footwear will be early areas of impact. ESPR also prohibits large companies from destroying unsold clothing and footwear from 19 July 2026. PACKAGING AND PACKAGING WASTE REGULATION (PPWR) Packaging is one of the first areas to be impacted and cracked down on. PPWR has applied generally since 12 August 2026, and covers packaging minimisation, recyclability, recycled plastic content, reuse, labelling, and EPR. It directly affects product packaging, e-commerce packaging and licensed gift packaging. All packaging must move towards recyclability by 2030. EU WASTE FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE – TEXTILE AND FOOTWEAR EPR As part of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), EU countries are required to establish producer-responsibility schemes for textiles, textile-related products, and footwear. Brands placing sportswear, fanwear, costumes, plush/textile toys and footwear on EU markets will ultimately contribute to collection, sorting, reuse and recycling costs. EU DEFORESTATION REGULATION (EUDR) EUDR requires due diligence and traceability for commodities that are most at risk of deforestation practices, such as timber and rubber. This can affect natural-rubber balls, footwear components, grips, wooden toys, games and some paper-based products, depending on their customs classification. Current application dates are 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and 30 June 2027 for most micro and small operators. EU BATTERIES REGULATION This is essential for electronic toys, wearables, fitness trackers, e-bikes, and light-up products. It introduces requirements covering removable and replaceable batteries, recycled content, collection, recycling, and environmental and social due diligence for battery raw materials such as lithium and cobalt.
REACH AND CHEMICAL RESTRICTIONS This regulation is to control hazardous substances in materials, coatings, inks, adhesives, artificial surfaces, textiles and plastics. Particularly relevant issues include PFAS, phthalates, substances of very high concern and the restriction on intentionally added microplastics. This reaches everything from toy formulations and textile treatments to glitter and synthetic sports surfaces. EMPOWERING CONSUMERS FOR THE GREEN TRANSITION DIRECTIVE (EMPCO) EmpCo forms the most immediate legislation for environmental marketing, tackling greenwashing. From 27 September 2026, it strengthens rules against vague claims such as “green”, “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”; unreliable sustainability labels; misleading carbon-neutral claims based on offsetting; and poor information about durability. It affects products, packaging, websites, campaigns, and licensing approvals. While the UK does not have specific legislation against greenwashing, it is covered and governed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). EU FORCED LABOUR REGULATION From 14 December 2027, products made wholly or partly with forced labour can be prohibited, withdrawn or prevented from being exported from the EU. It applies to companies of every size and is highly relevant to global sportswear, footwear, toys, promotional merchandise, and raw-materials supply chains. CORPORATE LEGISLATION DRIVING REQUIREMENTS DOWN THE SUPPLY CHAIN Two further laws may apply directly only to larger companies, but their data requests will reach licensees, manufacturers and suppliers: • Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): Requires in-scope companies to report environmental and social impacts, risks and performance. Even businesses outside its direct scope will receive requests for emissions, materials, waste, workforce and supply-chain data. • Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD/ CS3D): Requires very large businesses to address human-rights and environmental impacts across their chains of activities. Following the 2026 revisions, national transposition is due by July 2028, and application begins in July 2029. Importantly for POC, the scope can include very large franchisors and licensors meeting the thresholds.
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FUTURE FORECAST
FUTURE FORECAST This Future Forecast details the sustainability commitments of some of the largest players in the sport industry. This overview reflects publicly available information at time of review, and the companies’ commitments may not be limited to what is presented in the table as it is intended as a snapshot. For more detailed insights into a specific organisation’s targets and achievements, please visit their website or view their sustainability reports. Company name
Emissions Scope 1, 2 & 3
Water, waste, and biodiversity
Sustainable design and material use
Supply chain engagement
Liverpool FC
- During 2020-21 season switched all mains fed energy (gas and electricity) to renewable tariffs. Covering all sites.
- Recycle 100% of food waste by 2030. Current surplus matchday food is redistributed, providing 1,200 meals each week to local communities across Merseyside.
- The Anfield pitch is fully recycable since the old turf is repurposed into benches for the AXA training Centre orchard.
- No public commitments at time of review.
- The Nike shirts that players wear on the pitch and the replica jerseys for the fans to buy are constructed with 100% recycled polyester fabric, which is made from recycled plastic bottles.
- Sustainability strategy is built around UN Race to Zero, UN Sports for Climate Action, and ISO 20121 sustainable event management certification.
- Phase One of one of sport's largest solar panel projects completed; powering key facilities across the Etihad Campus.
- No public commitments at time of review.
- Harvested 10,000 acorns from veteran oaks on Wimbledon Park which are growing in nurseries for replanting and over 600 of which have been donated to sites across Merton, Wandsworth, and other London boroughs.
- In collaboration with Barclays installing innovative solar thermal collectors on the roof of the Aorangi Pavilion. Powered by the sun, this technology provides zero carbon heat to the hot water system for the building.
- No public commitments at time of review.
- Introducing bee hives at Community Tennis Centre at Raynes Park.
- In partnership with Emirates launched "Championing Nature" a programme aimed to build greater connections and engagement with nature. The programme is delivered by four Wildlife Trusts and funds besopke projects and initiatives.
- 162 tCO2e domestic charter flight emissions removed with Sustainable Aviation Fuel. - 100% emissions offset from football operations. - Joined the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework committing to achieve halving operational emissions by 2030 and aiming to achieve net zero by 2040.
- On-site allotments and gardens to help promote seasonal produce and strengthen the connection between players, staff and club partners to sustainable food practices.
- Signed up to United Nation's Race to Zero in 2022 helping to achieve net zero as soon as possible.
- Remove single use plastics such as straws and cutlery at Anfield, rollout of reusable cup and food-tray schemes and fan-facing recycling programmes (more than one million plastic bottles collected in recent seasons).
- Team buses run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, reducing emissions by 90%.
- 60,000 bees housed across club sites to support pollinators. - 1,000+ trees and hedges planted.
Tottenham Hotspur FC
- Halve carbon emission by 2030 - Become net-zero by 2040
- Water consumption minimised across the stadium with waterless urinals and low-flow fittings and fixtures. Since FY2021/2022 baseline reduced irrigation consumption at the stadiums by 57%. - The Training Centre has a sedum 'green roof' installed in significant portions of the main building to enable the capture and reharvesting of rain water across the site. - A comprehensive drainage and extraction system is set in place through installation of an attenuation pond and two onsite bore holes that extract water (with licences and agreement from the Environment Agency).
Manchester City FC
- CO2 emissions reduced by 25% across 2024/2025, with Scope 1&2 operations carbon neutral. - Energy consumption reduced by 182 tonnes CO2 in 2024/2025, with over 1MW of solar energy generated on-site. - All other electricity used is 100% renewable, and gas usage has been reduced by 160,000 kWh. - Diesel fuel consumption has dropped by 350 litres, which contributes to the 182-tonne CO2 reduction.
Wimbledon
- Use electric buggies to transport guests during the Championships and yearround use electric maintenance buggies. - Use electric vehicles for year-round use including their staff minibus and all buggies used on site are electric. - Use electric lawnmowers and horticulture equipment around the grounds. - Removing the need for generators by connecting to its renewable electricity supply to power Championship facilities in Wimbledon Park. - Decarbonise the Aorangi player pavilion by removing gas cooking, heating and hot water equipment, replacing with induction cookers and electric boilers. - Part of the commitment to the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework their goal is to reduce these emissions (Scope 3) by 50% by 2030 and to net zero by 2040.
- Water use down by 30 million litres in 2024/2025, supported by new rain gardens and advanced irrigation systems. - Waste reduced by 123 tonnes, with 100% of PET removed from Club operations. - Enhanced rainwater harvesting, attenuation systems, and introduction of 36 new rain gardens. The Club recycles over 80% of its water.
- Introduced a living wall on No.1 Court which incorporates flowering plant species to encourage pollinators and have a range of pollinator-friendly areas throughout the site. - Have a Centre Court themed 'bug hotel' in The Queue and other bug hotel and log pile habitats around the Grounds.
PRODUCTS OF CHANGE I THE SPORT CHAPTER 21
FUTURE FORECAST
Company name
Emissions Scope 1, 2 & 3
Water, waste, and biodiversity
Sustainable design and material use
Supply chain engagement
Rugby Football Union (RFU)
- No public commitments at time of review.
- Allianz Stadium operates a zero waste to landfill policy. The stadium waste is either recycled, or the energy recovery is performed to remove the CO2 emission. (was accredited with ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System and retaining BS20121 Event Sustainability accreditation, achieved a Gold Standard accreditation from ECOsmart, ISO 14001 accreditation, and Green Tourism Silver accreditation).
- Reusable eco cups at the Allianz have been replaced by Lyfecycle self-destructing cups, which break down in landfill within two years, allowing no microplastics or toxins, and biodegradable Notpla food containers and drink carriers had been replaced with plastic alternatives.
- The meat and fish are ethically sourced from the UK where it is possible, with 70% of fruit and vegetable is UK-grown.
- Planting around the Allianz grounds, with new hedging and trees to the west perimeter both in the North and West Car Parks. - Given over 1000m2 of land in Rosebine Car Park and also around the Stadium to wildflower meadows. - Harvested over 85 full post of honey with beehives used both in the VIP catering and sold for the funds for the Injured Players Foundation. - Carbon emission were limited by preparing 95% of food onsite. - All fish is MSC grades 1-3. - The Allianz aims for 25% of match day concourse food to be plant-based, and with 50% of conference and event menus.
National Football League (NFL)
- NFL each year inventories the estimated energy usage at the event facilities and then they purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) equivalent to that energy usage total. This allows to provide funding to increase 'green' electricity capacity throughout the country.
- NFL Green works closely with the stadiums and facilities hosting events by maximising and increasing recycling and waste diversion rates. The sponsors themselves engaged and support Zero Waste and fan engagment initiatives. Every host community would present unique opportunities for waste diversion from local landfills. - The Waste Diversion programmes are created each year to take advantage of existing venue practices and community infrastructure for recycling and composting.
- Canned drinks are now to be served directly in decompressed cans, replacing plastic bottles and saving 600,000 bottles per season. - (2024/25 period) installed Passive Infrared Sensor control to the lighting of the majority of back of house areas and finished all front of house areas.
- All beef that is used is outdoor reared British grassfed, with target to reduce beef use by 50% by the end of 2025. - Surplus food is regularly donated to Olio, City Harvest, and The Felix Project.
- Protocols for event heating and cooling have been improved to reduce unnecessary energy consumption. - Putting in place a summer heating regime in order to reduce gas consumption by the boilers during warmer months.
- Major events would generate tens of thousands of pounds of fabric, building materials, decor, and signage. These materials are then to be recovered and donated to organisations like Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, schools, and artist groups. Preventing materials to be released into landfills and allows to create a circular designloop for event infrastructure.
- No public commitments at time of review.
- The Hawks' Full Court Press sculpture is made from 404 pounds of upcycled aluminium cups and cans, which will serve as a sustainability symbol inside the arena.
- No public commitments at time of review.
- Sourcing of products and services is taken into account of environmental and social impact.
- Applying responsible sourcing criteria to the procurement of key goods and services
- NFL Green: Tree planting, habitat restoration, community gardens, and reforestation projects with tens of thousands of seedlings.
National Basketball Association (NBA)
- Part of the UN Sport for Climate Action Framework; aspires to reduce carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.
- In 2024, NBA India announced 'Nets for Change,' a pilot programme to recycle discarded underwater fishing nets into basketball nets for local communities.
- NBA confims Clippers' new arena will be fully electric and powered by solar panels that will be supported by an 11.5 MWh battery system capable of powering an entire NBA game off-grid.
- 16,528 pounds of waste diverted from landfill throughout 2025 NBA All-Star. - April 2021: Atlanta Hawks (world's first sports and live entertainment venue to achieve TRUE Platinum Certification for zero waste) diverted 97% of fan generated waste in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. In 2023, over 3 million pounds were diverted from landfills through reductions, reuse, recycling, and composting. - Cleveland Cavliers' arena have rebuilt their waste room and installed new equipment to improve recycling and compositing.
International Olympic Association (IOC)
- Achieve carbon neutrality by reducing direct and indirect GHG emissions, and by compensating emissions as a last resort. - Reduce the IOC's travel impact (business travel for IOC staff, members and guests).
- Preventing waste and applying circularity principles to reduce material consumption. - The IOC is a memeber of Clean Seas (to fight against marine litter by addressing the root causes of the problem) that aiming to reduce their own waste, providing educational resources to the sports community, and to help support coastal clean-ups.
- Effective carbon reduction strategies are set in place for operations and events, and that they are aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change. - The adaptation to the consequences of climate change is taken into account in planning for sports facillities and events. - Vehicles should favourably be electric or hybrid vehicles or low fuel-consumption vehicles (labelled A or B under the EU labelling scheme) that would meet the EURO 6 emission standards. - For long distance: transport by boat and train is favoured over air transport.
22 PRODUCTS OF CHANGE I THE SPORT CHAPTER
- Products and materials are treated as valuable resources and their lifecycle is optimised. - Proposing products and services that generate minimal amounts of waste during their life cycle, this would include avoiding single-use plastics - Ensuring that the products that are supplied and their packaging can easily be reused and recycled. - World Sailing: clothing suppliers have stopped using plastic covers on new kit and have now extended thie approach to all its customers resulting in major reduction in plastic waste. - World Archery: tackled waste from plastic water bottles at its annual World Cup, by introducing a plastic bottle deposit scheme. This increased recycling and cut costs and reduced the number of bottles used. In 2019 at the Youth Championship in Madrid they installed water refill stations and gave out refillable water bottles to all competitors, significantly reducing single-use plastic.
- Collaborating with their suppliers and partners across the Olympic Movement to implement sustainable solutions. - Delivery of goods or services, suppliers are aimed to minimise transport distances and optimise transport efficiency. Low or zero- emission transport modes should be favoured.
FUTURE FORECAST
Company name
Emissions Scope 1, 2 & 3
Water, waste, and biodiversity
Sustainable design and material use
Supply chain engagement
McLaren
- In 2025, limited unnecessary transport and reducing journeys back to the UK. Using sea freight instead of air freight to move show cars to reduce emissions. Optimising sequential routing, allowed avoidance of unnecessary journeys and associated emission on European and international events.
- Partnered with social enterprise network Community Wood Recycling to divert 14.5 tonnes of wood from waste stream and to save seven tonnes of CO₂e, while also offering social benefits to disadvantaged people.
- After the withdrawal from Formula E, a stock take was conducted for the hospitality kit and found new uses for many elements including shelving, reception desk and dressing. Instead of disposing of these items they were refurbished, rebranded, and used for their Papaya Club hospitality from 2025. Anything that was not reused was returned to the manufacturer for reuse or recycling rather than being disposed of. The Formula E uniforms were also repurposed for World Endurance Championship team at Le Mans 2025.
- In 2023 partnered with carbon removal organisations, Mombak and UNDO to remove excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it for the medium to long-term.
- Continued use of the biofuel hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for all outbound truck logistics to European races is helping them stay on track to achieve 2030 scope 1 Science Based Target of reducing emissions by 80% from 2019.
- Every month Waste Knot helps to save 26kg of veg and 80kg of fruit from waste, by supplying surplus fruit and veg that farms would otherwise throw away (equivalent to saving 250 meals per month). - During Zero Waste Week sold discounted salad boxes of surplus salads in the restaurant honesty section, reducing food waste, and offering nutritious food out of hours, benefitting the night shift team. - Through Olio, donated 347 items of surplus packaged food to low-income households, reducing food waste. - In 2025, introduced a takeaway tax to encourage people to bring their own reusable takeaway boxes. - Aqua Libre helped McLaren to commit to removing single-use plastic (SUP) through filtered water taps. In 2025, the taps in the MTC restaurant served more than 43,000 litres of water, saving 86,000 single-use plastic bottles.
- Machine One: A collaboration between McLaren's Racing's Accelerator Programme and Great Barrier Reef Foundation. The early model is set to assemble up to 100,000 coral seeding devices per week - meaning coral planting can go from currently 100,000 a year to 1,000,000 and at a major cost reduction.
PRODUCTS OF CHANGE I THE SPORT CHAPTER 23
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