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