Marathon recycling effort saves energy on epic scale
THIS year’s Cardiff Half Marathon was the greenest yet, a recycling charity has said.
A recycling drive at the event earlier this month was organised by waste charity Recycle for Wales to employ more environmental volunteers, educate more attendees about green energy and get more of the event’s waste into green bins than ever before – all with great success.
The charity teamed up with race co-ordinator Run4Wales to run the campaign, which organiser Lee Treadwell says is part of a commitment to make the event more sustain- able. He said: “We’re committed to improving everyone’s event day experience, and giving runners and spectators the opportunity to recycle and save energy is a key part of that.
“This year, while thousands of runners exerted all their energy on the course, a host of volunteers, dubbed our ‘environmental champions’, made sure water bottles and banana peels found their way into our recycling bins.”
Runners, spectators and volunteers recycled thousands of water bottles and banana skins, amounting to enough saved energy to power some of the city’s biggest landmarks.
Recycling plastic bottles to make new ones uses far less energy than creating a new bottle from scratch.
The energy this will save is enough to power the Principality Stadium’s floodlights for three years, operate the Cardiff Bay barrage for 48 hours or provide the Wales Millennium Centre with electricity for nine hours.
Recycled food waste, like bananas, can also be used to generate electricity, with just one recycled banana peel enough smartphones.
Recycle for Wales campaign manager Angela Spiteri said: “While it might seem odd to us that recycling something as everyday as a banana peel can create energy to power our homes, we can all make a contribution which does make a difference.”
Recycle for Wales, a Welsh Government grant-funded campaign, was set up to encourage behaviour change across Wales to reduce the amount of waste produced, and use resources in an efficient way to meet the Welsh to fully charge two Government’s ambitious target of becoming a zero-waste nation by 2050.
Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, said: “When it comes to recycling, we are truly leading the way here in Wales, with our recycling rates the highest in the whole of the UK.
“Well done to everyone who took part in the Cardiff Half Marathon. I am sure competitors were inspired not only to try and beat their own personal best but also do their bit at home and at work to help keep Wales at the front of the recycling field.”