A project at one of the world's most famous sports venues is leading by example and innovating using waste produced by the sports industry.
According to the BBC, engineers are now recycling plastic from the turf at Wembley Stadium into benches for community football clubs, which is a step toward tackling stubborn waste problems in sports.
Circular11 is a British startup that transforms hard-to-recycle plastics into durable materials for infrastructure. The company takes mixed plastics, such as the kind found under Wembley's hybrid grass field, and converts them into solid planks that can replace traditional timber.
"We all know plastic waste is a big issue, but we're trying to harness that property and use it in a more constructive way," Circular11 co-founder Ben Gibbons said, citing that it has been "really fun" to be a part of the project.
Stadiums and large sporting events produce significant waste, from construction to maintenance to refuse from event attendees. The global soccer industry generates over 30 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution each year, which is about the same as the total annual pollution of Denmark, according to an estimate from Earth.Org.
The Union of European Football Associations published research indicating that a single major football match can generate 20 metric tonnes (over 22 tons) of waste.
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Some stadiums have adopted plastic-free solutions, such as phasing out plastic bottles, but even then, stadium maintenance and the materials used in sports such as soccer contribute to the industry's overall waste. Repurposing this difficult-to-recycle waste into useful products such as benches prevents plastics from entering the waste stream and polluting soil and waterways.
According to the BBC's video coverage, Circular11's "plastic lumber" is already being used for furniture, fencing, and infrastructure projects. The company says Wembley contacts them several times a year when the pitch is replaced before major games or concerts. The benches they create are then sent to grassroots football clubs across the U.K. with plaques that detail which match the plastic came from.
"I think a lot of the local clubs have liked that, and it's been really fun to be a part of," Gibbons added.
This transformation not only keeps plastic from going to waste, but it also gives soccer lovers a tangible piece of history to inspire their next moves.
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