Wembley Stadium, in partnership with EE, won the prestigious Innovation Award at the BASIS Awards for its groundbreaking project to create the world’s first 100% recyclable hybrid football pitch. This unique process is the result of a meticulous two-year research and development effort to address the environmental challenges posed by modern-day hybrid football pitches, which are made from a blend of natural grass and synthetic plastics. This initiative showcases Wembley’s commitment to sustainability and its ability to set a new standard for sports venues globally.
Judges recognised this achievement for its imaginative commitment to minimising environmental impact and its huge potential for scalability and influence, given Wembley’s iconic status and the widespread use of hybrid pitches across the world of football.
The Challenge: Recycling Hybrid Pitches
Hybrid pitches have become a popular choice for many professional football stadiums due to their durability and resilience, making them ideal for use in varying weather conditions and high-traffic events. However, these pitches pose a significant environmental challenge. Typically composed of 4% to 10% synthetic plastic, hybrid pitches do not decompose naturally, and the vast majority are sent to landfills at the end of their life cycle. With the average Wembley playing surface weighing approximately 800 tonnes and undergoing 2-3 pitch changes a year, this amounts to a substantial amount of waste. In response, Wembley Stadium embarked on a mission to create a sustainable solution that would prevent this waste from ending up in landfills.
Sustainable Impact of the 100% Recyclable Pitch
Wembley Stadium’s innovative process offers a world-first solution to the problem of hybrid pitch disposal by enabling the full recycling of its playing surface. This revolutionary method separates the synthetic plastic elements from the natural grass and sand, allowing all components to be repurposed.
- Process: When a pitch reaches the end of its life, it is excavated and stored for nine months to allow for natural decay. Afterward, the plastic is separated from the sand using a specialised screening process. The plastic is shredded, extruded, and reinforced to create a material that can be repurposed for various applications. The grass and sand are recycled and used for grassroots football pitches, contributing to the circular economy by supporting community-level sports.
- Outcome: With each pitch change, Wembley now prevents up to 24 tonnes of plastic from being sent to landfill. In the first trial of this process, Wembley created a bench made entirely from the recycled pitch material. This bench, which hosted world-class footballers like Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Lauren James, and Mary Earps, serves as a tangible reminder of the importance of sustainable infrastructure in sports.
- Scalability: One pitch can produce approximately 50 benches, and the Wembley team is actively exploring additional uses for the recycled materials. This pioneering initiative is already inspiring other stadiums and sports organisations around the world to adopt similar eco-friendly practices.
Alignment with Wembley Stadium’s Sustainability Strategy
Wembley’s pitch recycling initiative is closely aligned with the FA’s five-year sustainability strategy, “Playing for the Future.” This project specifically contributes to two of the strategy’s key pillars:
- Save Our Resources: By minimising waste and maximising recyclability, Wembley Stadium is reducing its environmental footprint and actively contributing to resource conservation.
- Make an Impact: The project has increased awareness of environmental sustainability within football, promoting broader discussions and fostering mutual learning across the industry.
Since the stadium’s reopening in 2007, Wembley has consistently sought to integrate sustainable practices into its operations. This latest innovation reinforces its position as one of the greenest sports venues in the world, further demonstrating that large-scale stadiums can significantly reduce their environmental impact while maintaining high standards of quality and performance.
Positive Impact on Sport
Wembley Stadium’s initiative has had a profound impact on the sports sector, providing a new benchmark for sustainability in pitch management. The process of fully recycling a hybrid football pitch is a first in the world of football, and its successful implementation is attracting attention from sports organisations globally. Since first publicising the project in March 2024, teams from Holland, Spain, and the United States have reached out to Wembley’s head groundsman, Karl Standley, to learn more about how they can implement similar solutions. A Swiss TV crew has also shown interest in documenting the innovative process.
This project highlights how large sports venues can lead by example in sustainability, driving broader industry change. As more stadiums and sports clubs seek to address the issue of pitch waste, Wembley’s recyclable pitch project serves as a blueprint for creating long-lasting positive environmental impacts within the world of sport.
Innovation Through Collaboration
The development of this recycling process required close collaboration between Wembley Stadium and its key suppliers. Wembley worked with its pitch provider, Hewitts Turf Farm, to explore ways to extract plastic from hybrid pitches and engaged with specialists in plastic production to develop the recycling method. This collaborative approach shows how organisations can challenge their supply chains to innovate and create sustainable solutions that meet their environmental goals.
Supporting Grassroots Football
Beyond the environmental benefits, this project also has a positive impact on grassroots football. The grass and sand from Wembley’s old pitches are recycled and used to support local community clubs. This not only reduces waste but also helps strengthen community engagement and participation in sports. By providing these materials to grassroots pitches, Wembley Stadium is actively supporting the development of football at the local level.
A Model for Future Sustainability in Sports
Wembley Stadium’s recyclable pitch project is a testament to the potential of innovative thinking in creating sustainable solutions for the sports industry. The project demonstrates that even in large-scale, high-performance environments, it is possible to implement eco-friendly practices without compromising on quality. By pioneering this method, Wembley is setting a new standard for how sports infrastructure can be managed sustainably, offering a model that can be adopted by stadiums and sports organisations worldwide.
As Wembley continues its journey towards sustainability, this initiative marks a significant step forward in its efforts to minimise environmental impact and promote sustainable practices across the football industry. The project has the potential to reshape how sports venues manage their infrastructure and waste, contributing to a more sustainable future for football and beyond.
Conclusion
Wembley Stadium’s innovative pitch recycling project represents a game-changing approach to sustainability in sports. By developing a process that allows for the full recycling of hybrid football pitches, Wembley has addressed a long-standing environmental challenge and created a solution with global potential. This initiative not only reduces the stadium’s waste output but also supports the circular economy and grassroots football.
The positive impact of this project is already being felt across the sports sector, as organisations from around the world look to Wembley for inspiration and guidance on how to implement similar sustainable practices. By demonstrating leadership and commitment to environmental responsibility, Wembley Stadium is helping to pave the way for a more sustainable future in sports.
