Birmingham’s Edgbaston Stadium has further underlined its ambitions to operate the most sustainable cricket stadium in the United Kingdom by launching its Edgbaston Pledge during a themed ‘Green Week’ at the venue, that’s designed to highlight its current progress and inspire staff, commercial partners and suppliers.
Edgbaston, which hosts the opening Test of England’s all-important Specsavers Ashes series versus Australia in 10 days, has highlighted five focus areas to help achieve its goal:
- Power from renewable sources
- Haven Power is the official electricity supplier, and a commercial partner of the venue, which generates power from renewable, biomass sources, which produces 86% less carbon than coal-generated power
- Reduce energy usage
- Edgbaston is working with consultancy, Amber Energy, on a full review of systems and processes that will reduce energy usage across the venue
- Eliminate single use plastics
- Recyclable e-cups have been used throughout stadium bars and kiosks since 2016
- Compostable hot drinks cups and food packaging has been introduced in 2019
- 11 hydration water stations installed around the venue to allow spectators to refill bottles
- Conference & events pens replaced with pencils from sustainable sources
- Increase recycling and minimise waste
- Zero waste goes to landfill
- Waste streams for glass, food, cardboard packaging, wood, metals, electronic waste and batteries, paints and solvents, whilst on match days spectators are asked to separate general waste and recyclable waste into our colour-coded bins.
- Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) is created from the disposal of hygiene waste by PHS
- Washroom – One tonne of RDF energy is equivalent to the power required to heat an average family home for one year.
- Any excess food stocks are donated to local food distribution charity, Let’s Feed Brum.
- All non-recyclable waste is handled by waste management partner Suez, which it sells to Scandinavian countries to burn for fuel.
- Reduce carbon footprint
- Edgbaston named a Top Cycle Destination in Birmingham, with increased bike storage racks and shared bikes for staff to use
- Partnership with a local train operator, which provides match day travel discounts to spectators.
- Match day shuttle bus service provided to Edgbaston from Birmingham New Street station by National Express WM.
- Focus on local suppliers operating within the venue’s supply chain; e.g. Fordhall Farm (Shropshire), Mainstream Print (Sutton Coldfield), Marston’s (Wolverhampton) and Carling (Burton).
- More than 90% of food is prepared on-site in the kitchens at Edgbaston
Craig Flindall, Chief Operating Officer at Edgbaston Stadium, said: “As a venue, we take our sustainability work very seriously and we have made several changes to our operations in recent months which have made positive change.
“We have grand ambitions to be the most sustainable cricket venue in the UK and are acutely aware that further work and long-term planning is required to achieve this goal.
“However, we believe that staging Green Week at Edgbaston is a good opportunity for our staff, suppliers and stakeholders to learn more about the great work that we are currently doing and to understand how making small changes to our lives can make a major difference to our environment.”
