In Spain, a full stadium says more than the score. In addition to the songs, smiles and emotions that go through the thousands of fans gathered there, A large volume of waste is also generated in these environments. which, well managed, can become valuable packaging or objects again. It is in this field where Ecoembes has found an effective ally: sport.
Your initiative «We are special, we recycle» brings the culture of circularity to dozens of sports spaces in the country. In close collaboration with the clubs, Ecoembes provides effective solutions – litter bins, training and awareness campaigns – for use by teams, squads and fans. The benefits derived from doing so are allocated to social causes linked to the team and/or its environment.
«The purpose is to achieve a future without waste, generating a positive impact on the environment and everyone’s health. For this reason, we cannot leave anyone out and sport encompasses many people of all kinds,” explains Beatriz Aylagas, head of the project. This adapts to each club (there are football, basketball and, recently, handball), combining strategies such as locating containers in key areas or training pills for staff and youth teams, in addition to challenges involving followers or media campaigns that end up reaching all levels of the club.
When the objectives are achieved, Ecoembes donates 5,000 euros to a social cause. This happened, for example, with the CD Leganés and the Spanish Association of Prader-Willi Syndrome. “The club managed to mobilize a lot of the population of Leganés, the city where we have our headquarters,” says Aurora Rustarazo, the entity’s psychologist. “At that time we had a very ambitious project, which was to create a residence for our users: the first in Spain specific for a rare disease,” he recalls.
Leganés and Prader-Willi Syndrome: when recycling also saves lives
Prader-Willi Syndrome causes the patient to suffer from constant hunger, which usually leads to obesity, choking and other complications. «It forces those who suffer from it and their families to need very specific care throughout life», says Rustarazo. “The donation through Ecoembes was a boost,” he continues, “but just as important was the visibility: we achieved more volunteering, support from the City Council and a project that impacts the lives of 3,000 families in Spain.”
Now, their dream is to replicate small residences in other autonomous communities, but they do not hide the difficulty of sustaining the one they already have: “That Ecoembes and the media give us a voice makes a difference,” says Rustarazo. “For entities like ours, sometimes invisible,” he laments, “this type of initiative puts you at the center.”.
Since its birth in the Butarque stadium, the “We are special, we recycle” project has spread to other venues such as Anxo Carro through the CD Lugo (an agreement from which the local Brain Damage Association benefits), the Lugo Provincial Sports Palace (an agreement with the Breogan and its Foundation), the Bilbao Arena (between the Bilbao Basket and its Foundation), Mendizorroza (CD Alavés) or El Sardinero (Santander Racing).
Racing de Santander: a greener and more efficient Sardinero
«We were aware that Racing matches generate a significant volume of waste, like any sporting event. Well, we have gone from recycling quite little to reach more than 10,000 kilos of packaging last season,” says Agustín Ibáñez, head of the Sustainability Area of the Real Racing Club Foundation.
In his opinion, the key has been to join forces: with Ecoembes, dozens and dozens of litter bins were installed to promote the separation at source of the waste generated in those parties, involving public administrations and footballers and youth players, protagonists of informative videos and training sessions specific. Water fountains have also been installed to reduce single-use plastics and cloth bags are distributed among staff.
Ibáñez acknowledges that the biggest challenge has been combating inertia such as thinking that “someone will clean up,” but he highlights the good response from the fans. Initiatives such as the tree plantations from the ‘Racing Forest’ to offset carbon footprint or the cleaning of natural spaces within the LIBERA Project, in which families and volunteers participate. The horizon is ambitious: “We want an increasingly green and efficient Sardinero, and reduce the footprint year after year,” says the person in charge.
The “We are special, we recycle” project adapts to each club: sometimes the objective is to increase selective collection; in others, activate the team’s digital community. At BM Granollers, for example, the challenge went viral and the goal of ‘likes’ in the campaign pieces tripled. “The important thing is that the challenges are being met in all deployments», emphasizes Aylagas. For her, success lies in the fact that players and coaches become natural prescribers, which brings circularity closer to thousands of followers.
The changes are visible in the day-to-day life of the matches: clear signage at entrances and stands, trained staff to avoid errors and messages remembered through screens and networks. What was learned in the stadium, the clubs emphasize, is later transferred to everyday life. The goal now is to expand the model to other sports disciplines. “Our dream is that each competition has its own circularity plan: clear, measurable and inclusive,” concludes the person in charge. Because every can or bottle that is recycled in a stadium adds up beyond the scoreboard.