Racing Club Greens The Game With New Environmental Initiatives
Racing Club Greens The Game With New Environmental Initiatives A little more than a month into the Argentine Primera Division season, FREE KICKS* partner, Racing Club, has launched several sustainable initiatives to reduce the club’s environmental footprint, identified in the Life Cycle Assessment, undertaken as part of the FREE KICKS project.
Ranging from waste management, energy efficiency and awareness-raising, the club’s environmental efforts reinforce the commitment to environmental responsibility and serve as an example for other sports clubs and organisations regionally and globally.
Waste Management Plan Supports Recycling
A new waste management plan consisting of twenty new pairs of recyclable and non-recyclable designated bins, highlighting recycling and the FREE KICKS project logos, was introduced at Estadio Presidente Perón in Stalls A and B in May 2024. First used at Racing’s 3-0 win against Coquimbo Kingdom (Chile) for the international match of Conmebol “Copa Sudamericana” on 16 May 2024., reaching 2,009 spectators. On 20 May 2024, the recycling bins were once again accessed at the local Argentine tournament fixture that resulted in a 3-0 win over Argentinos Juniors, reaching 2,567 spectators. The club plans to rotate the bins to cover the entire stadium over the course of the season. Post-match, the waste is collected by the municipality and transported to the city’s eco-point for processing.
Recyclable waste was collected in the green bins while non-recycle waste was collected in the black bins.
“Stadium Guardians” Program Engages Fans
The “Stadium Guardians” program was announced via the Racing Sustenable Instagram account as a part of the new waste management plan on 11 March 2024. Volunteers were recruited to participate in virtual training sessions to learn about environmental issues in football, the program goals and stadium guardian role expectations. Stadium Guardian duties include assisting with sustainability initiatives and promoting environmental awareness among fans.
Environmental Education with Racing Club
Racing Club organized virtual training sessions on 25th April for Stadium Guardian volunteers and their community to provide education on waste management and its relationship with linear and circular economies, for the 15 volunteers. On May 15th, Racing Club also hosted a 90-minute in-person training session on sustainability in sports for the organization’s leaders and employees. 32 people joined the session, including 25 people from Racing Club and 7 people virtually from fellow FREE KICKS partner, Real Betis Balompie.
In Stadium Efforts Raise Awareness
● During the May 20th match against Argentinos Juniors, a video featuring the women’s soccer team sorting waste along with a message urging fans to protect the planet was displayed on the stadium screen reaching 20, 640 people.
● During the matches held on May 16th and May 20th, a “Racing Sustenable” stand in the fan zone provided information on the FREE KICKS project as well as Racing Club’s other sustainability initiatives to a combined total of 37,516 spectators on the stadium grounds.
Future Direction and Continuous Improvement
Racing Club’s project to replace the stadium’s lighting system with more energy-efficient LED lights is currently in-progress. The nearly one million dollar investment will allow for the replacement of 210 mercury halogen lights with 250 LED lights. Once complete, Estadio Presidente Perón will be distinguished as one of the most advanced South American stadiums, exceeding Conmebol and FIFA standards. Racing Club continues to educate fans on sustainability in sports and showcase environmental efforts through the website and social media platforms. Racing Club is setting a new standard for sustainability in sports through these initiatives and has dedicated its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint.
* Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
