In a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at tackling the growing issue of single-use plastic waste in football, Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) has partnered with STEAMhouse, Birmingham’s leading innovation hub.
This partnership is set to launch an ambitious new cross-disciplinary challenge-led innovation programme designed to identify innovative solutions to reduce the adverse environmental effects of single-use plastic in the sport. The BCFA and STEAMhouse are looking for innovation partners with a diverse range of experience and expertise to propel the programme forwards.
In the West Midlands alone, it is estimated that over the course of the season, 16.54 tons of plastic waste are generated from single-use disposable ice packs used to treat player injuries. The weight of this issue is crushing, with significant implications for both the environment and the sustainability of the game.
The project is exploring three key areas of innovation potential:
- Material Innovation
- Operational & Behavioural Change
- Storytelling & Campaigns
The focus on Material Innovation includes exploring the development of sustainable alternatives, mapping innovative reuse options, and advancing opportunities in advanced polymers and composite materials. The project also aims to unite innovation partners in driving Operational & Behavioural Change, with a focus on the best way to achieve stakeholder engagement, community and grassroots involvement, and incentivise sustainable behaviours.
Led by the Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) and challenge-led innovation experts STEAMhouse, the initiative will also focus on Storytelling and Campaigns to expand the project’s reach and impact.
Richard Lindsay at the BCFA speaks on the need to focus on sustainability in the sport:
“Climate change is arguably the greatest challenge of our generation. While grassroots football is not the cause as most clubs are small sized, often loss-making, volunteer led enterprises with a microscale carbon footprint, we know there is an appetite for change with 86% of grassroots football clubs believing the game should do more to reduce its environmental impact.”
“Participants in the programme will work on exploring different avenues for the reduction of single-use plastic waste in football, with a focus on player treatment products – like instant ice packs. The goal is to test new ideas, design sustainable alternatives, and develop a roadmap that will enable BCFA to secure further innovation funding and drive the initiative forward. This challenge led innovation Programme builds on Save Today, Play Tomorrow: an initiative that launched in June 2021 by BCFA which aims to decarbonise grassroots football, and is recognised globally among top 50 sport & sustainability initiatives.”
This initiative started in July and will run until January 2025 is part of a larger project aimed at solidifying the West Midlands as the national exemplar in challenge-led innovation, commissioned by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) through the West Midlands Innovation Programme, part of the national Innovation Accelerator portfolio led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation.
STEAMhouse and BCFA are calling on a broad range of candidates to join this initiative, across all industries whether that be sustainable material alternatives, behavioural psychology, grass roots community workers or anyone with a passion for the changing the game.
