Wimbledon game for cutting plastic waste
● Organisers pledge recycled water bottles and more recycle bins
Wimbledon has vowed to ramp up its efforts to cut plastic waste at this year’s Championships after coming under fire for the rubbish-strewn grounds seen in 2018.
Evian, one of the main sponsors, is using this year’s championships to pilot its new bottle made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.
The brand, which is owned by Danone Waters, has pledged to become a “circular brand” by 2025, meaning all its packaging is both recycled and recyclable.
To tackle the problem of onthe-go recycling, the tournament’s organisers have upped the number of recycling bins as well as fielding on the ground “eco-champions” to ensure spectators do their bit.
The initiative is being overseen by Uk-based environmental charity Recoup.
Elsewhere, to hammer home the sustainable message, Evian will be replacing its logo with “I recycle” on all players’ bottles on site.
Last year fans voiced their disgust at the amount of waste Wimbledon generates – posting images of the piles of litter left on courts.
When asked about the mess, British tennis star Johanna Konta said: “I think you need to speak to Evian more than Wimbledon.”
She added that she too was trying to cut down on plastic, saying: “It’s a battle that everybody is facing.”
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is part of the UN Sport for Climate Action initiative, which encourages sports events to show “climate leadership” by tackling their environmental footprint.
The initiative hopes to trigger climate action beyond the sport sector.
James Pearson, managing director of Danone Waters in the UK and Ireland, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Wimbledon to put circularity centre stage at such a global event.”
He added: “We hope to be able to show how working in partnership we can take a circular approach so that packaging can be kept within the economy where it belongs, rather than become waste.”
At last year’s event, plastic straws were banned for the first time in Wimbledon’s bars, cafes and restaurants while 87 free water refill points were installed along with 21 water fountains.
This year, players will no longer receive their freshly strung rackets wrapped in plastic, a move estimated to save 4,500 plastic bags.
Some people believe the new measures do not go far enough.
This year, Glastonbury became the biggest event to date to ban single-use plastic bottles in an attempt to cut the mountain of waste left behind each year.