MATCH READY
Charlie Bullough looks at a campaign to rescue a million old football boots from landfill and to get them back on the pitch
Former England goalkeeper David James is used to making plenty of saves but now he has much loftier goals as the figurehead of an environmental campaign with a footballing theme.
The ex Liverpool number one is the face of Utilita’s Football Rebooted upcycling scheme, which is pledging to rescue at least one million used football boots that are destined for the bin and to get them onto the feet of a new generation of players.
Campaign ambassador David said: “Right now, there are millions of pairs of football boots that people have grown out of or replaced, and we need to make sure they don’t end up in landfill. Getting these boots replayed through Utilita’s Football Rebooted campaign will not only save players a few quid but will also act as an important reminder about the power of upcycling and reusing items that still have a lot of life left in them.”
The retired player added: “By rehoming a million pairs of football boots, we will save 136,000 tonnes of carbon – the same as taking 7,000 cars off the road for a year or turning the energy off in one million medium-sized homes for a week.”
The donate and claim scheme by smart energy company Utilita is also aiming to help families who are struggling to afford a vital piece of kit. It follows on from Utilita’s State of Play report, which revealed 74 percent of families had been impacted financially by the pandemic and
“17 per cent of families cannot afford equipment, such as kit and football boots, so their children have no choice but to stop playing”.
David James and the Utilita team held focus groups with families, which revealed the barriers to boots finding new homes – the biggest being pride. But Football Rebooted removes that hurdle and instead gives them an ecofriendly reason for doing so.
Utilita founder Bill Bullen said: “Most consumers are becoming more thoughtful about how their choices impact the environment, but sometimes life gets in the way of making the right choice. That’s why we have created
Football Rebooted, which makes recycling football boots with plenty of life left in them, really easy.
“The campaign has been shaped by grassroots football players, coaches and parents, so uses carbon-saving examples that really resonate with this audience - home energy usage and taking cars off the road. It’s been incredibly encouraging to see football players as young as six-years-old talk passionately about the importance of protecting the environment.”
People will be able to donate their pre-played football or astro boots by requesting a freepost bag or by dropping them off at one of Utilita’s high street Energy Hubs. The boots will then be redistributed to grassroots clubs across the UK at its dedicated claim stations. Schools can also request boots be sent to them for children who they identify as being in need of them.
English Schools’ FA (ESFA) Chairman, Phil Harding, said: “The last 12 months have been very difficult for families, teams, players and schools alike and, as the national governing body for schools’ football, the ESFA welcome any campaign to help ensure children have every opportunity to take part in a sport tha they are passionate about, bu that is also so beneficial for both their physical and ment health. The Football Reboote campaign not only has a great environmental message but i also working towards helping children to be active, participate and enjoy school sport.”
Professional clubs are also supporting the initiative. Pre mier League and EFL clubs across the UK, including Port smouth, Southampton, Derb County and Leeds United, have already signed up to donate the football boots worn by their academy players, while first-team players have also gifted their own boots in the interests of the environment.
David James has also contributed a pair of signed boot which one lucky person can win by sharing a picture of their boots on social media with the #FootballRebooted hashtag.
The football veteran, sum marising the campaign, said: “We are saving the nation money and doing our bit for the planet too. And with club across the Premier League, the EFL and Non League ther could be some pretty special donations up for grabs too. That’s Football Rebooted.”