7 Ways To Make Your Sports Event More Sustainable

Feeling overwhelmed by the thought of making your sports event sustainable? 

With so many factors - like waste, energy, and travel - to juggle, it’s easy to feel stuck before you even start. 

But the good news is, finding your starting point is simpler than you think. 

We at Badges And Medals have worked with hundreds of sustainability-focused events. 

We've learned from them what does and doesn't work, and want to share those insights with you. 

In this article, you’ll learn seven practical ways to make your sports event more sustainable. 

The list is based on real-world solutions that our clients use every day to deliver increasingly sustainable events.

Sustainable event ideas you can start today:

1. Choose an eco-friendly venue

When it comes to creating a green event, the venue is the perfect place to start. 

Why? Because it sets the tone for everything else. 

A venue that's already committed to sustainability can take care of a lot of the little details you might otherwise overlook or want to target anyway. 

Not all venues are created equal, though, so it’s important to ask yourself these questions first:

• Does the venue have recycling bins, so people can dispose of their items responsibly?
• Does the venue have water-saving features? Things like low-flow fixtures or appliances can make a big difference in water wastage, especially if you're dealing with a large crowd.
• Does the venue use energy smartly? For example, do they have energy-efficient LED lights, and use low-energy heating and cooling systems? Do they use renewable energy?
• Is the venue flexible? Will it adapt to your needs, like allowing you to set up a reusable water station?

The answers to these questions can make a huge difference in the overall impact of your event.

2. Host your event outdoors

Outdoor events are better for the environment than indoor ones. CREDIT: Great Ocean Road Running Festival

If you really want to take it to the next level, why not skip the venue altogether?

The great outdoors isn’t just a beautiful setting - it’s a sustainable one. 

When you host an event outside, you rely less on artificial lighting and decorations. 

This not only helps reduce your environmental impact but also saves you money - a win-win all around. 

Plus, let’s be honest, outdoor venues are often more appealing to participants. 

After all, would you rather run a marathon on a stuffy indoor track or race past some stunning snow-capped mountains?

So, next time you plan an event, ask yourself - could this be better enjoyed under the open sky?

3. Go digital

Think about it: how many programmes, tickets, or flyers end up in the bin after an event? 

Even if they’re made from paper, which is better than plastic, that still means waste - waste that took valuable resources (like trees) to produce. 

And since most people are already on their phones, why not meet them where they are? 

By going digital, you can eliminate that leftover waste entirely. 

Not only does this cut down on your environmental impact, but it also saves you money on printing costs and makes last-minute changes a whole lot easier. 

For example, if you get a spot of bad weather, you can quickly update your event guide without the hassle of reprinting everything. 

But wait, there's more! You can easily tailor digital items to each attendee, allowing you to personalise their experience. 

For example, adding their names to the event programme.

Here’s are some of the best ways to go digital:

• Use digital tickets and event guides. As an added bonus, these can be updated in real time. For example, if the weather's not great in the lead up to your event, you can quickly update your guide to suggest guests bring wet weather gear, or change part of the course.
• Swap printed banners for projector displays or portable, LED-lit screens.
• Consider digital prizes such as gift cards, downloads, or online subscriptions.

4. Remove single-use items

What you can’t replace with a digital alternative, you can swap for something more sustainable. 

This is especially true with single-use items, or products that are made to be used once, then thrown away. 

What’s great is that you don’t have to sacrifice convenience or quality to make these changes. 

Here are a few ways to cut out single-use items at your next sports event:

• Replace plastic cups with biodegradable alternatives such as cups made from mushrooms or coffee grounds. Or, better yet, ask guests to bring and refill their own water bottles.
• Invest in reusable race bibs that, after the race, can be cleaned and used again.
• Ask your suppliers to pack items in paper, cardboard or beeswax wraps, not plastic.

5. Buy sustainable medals

A lot of people don’t realise their medals can be made more sustainably. CREDIT: Badges And Medals

Speaking of single-use items… let's talk about medals. 

They’re the heart of most sports events, but they often come with a significant environmental cost. 

The good news? You can make a big difference by switching to sustainable medals. 

Now, there’s no official definition for what makes a medal "sustainable," but two key factors are at play: the materials it’s made from and the ethics of the supplier you choose. 

Sustainable materials are those that can be responsibly sourced and have minimal environmental impact. 

Plus, they should be recyclable or compostable at the end of their life. 

Here are a few examples to consider:

• Metal medals made from recycled zinc alloy or brass, which can be recycled again.
• Wooden medals crafted from responsibly-sourced wood, which can be composted.
• Stone medals made from local or recycled materials, which can be repurposed.
• Plastic medals made from recycled plastic waste, which can be recycled again.
• Biodegradable medals made from plant-based materials, which can be composted.  

If you’re already using one of these sustainable options, that’s a great start! 

But don’t forget, the supplier you choose plays a big role in your medal's overall sustainability. 

For example, at Badges And Medals, we do more than make medals made with sustainable materials. 

For every medal you purchase, we remove one plastic bottle from the ocean. 

We also plant trees in the Amazon Rainforest and have been certified as an environmentally responsible company. 

Not all suppliers take sustainability seriously as us, though. 

Some might be just meeting the rising demand for sustainable products without actually sharing your commitment to the planet. 

So, when buying your medals, make sure the company that's making them shares your values.

6. Encourage sustainable travel

You can plan the greenest event in the world, but if everyone drives to your venue alone, then most of your sustainability efforts go out the window. But luckily, there are ways to change this:

• Choose a venue that's near public transport - think cycle lanes and bus, tram or train terminals - or is within walking distance of most attendees.
• Encourage people to carpool, cycle, or use public transport and, if you can, offer incentives. For example, during the Ekka in Brisbane (which is not a sports event, but bear with us!), transport to the event drops to US$0.30 per trip to discourage people from driving.
• Set up a shuttle service for participants, especially if you're hosting a rural event or one where a lot of your participants come from a particular area. Bonus points if it’s electric!
• Provide clear information on how to travel green to the event. For example, you could create a map like the one for Boston Marathon, below, showing where the nearest bus stops are.

7. Offset carbon emissions

Even with all these changes, your event is still going to have a carbon footprint - meaning it will have some level of impact on the environment. 

It's (almost) unavoidable. 

But don’t worry, there’s a way to balance things out, and that’s where carbon offsetting comes in. 

The first step is calculating your event’s footprint. 

If you're not sure where to start, there are several online calculators that make this process easier and help you find where your emissions are coming from. 

Once you have those numbers, you can invest in projects that give back to the planet.

Here are some great ideas:

• Planting trees that absorb carbon and contribute to healthier ecosystems.
• Supporting renewable energy projects, like wind or solar farms.

Take the next step!

Making your sports event more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be complicated. 

There are several simple ways to make your event more sustainable, and now, thanks to us at Badges And Medals, you know most of them. 

The ideas we’ve shared are based on tried and tested strategies our clients use regularly to create successful, sustainable events. 

If you like the idea  of switching to sustainable medals, we're here to make it happen. 

Each one of our medals is made from sustainably-harvested wood or recycled metal, and prevents two plastic bottles from entering the ocean… among other things! 

Learn more about the sustainability of our medals and our business in this blog post, 'Is Badges And Medals Sustainable?'