What started as a bold partnership between Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) and STEAMhouse is now shaping up to potentially be one of the most experimental sustainability projects in the world of football.
Supported by UEFA, this programme focuses on the power of material innovation, behaviour change, and storytelling to remove single-use plastic ice packs from the game. Innovation experts STEAMhouse and the BCFA have teamed up to assemble a diverse super-team of sustainability pioneers from inside and outside of football, each contributing essential expertise and unique perspectives to reimagine the future of football player injury treatment and drive meaningful change.
The project kicked off with a workshop full of grassroots volunteers, whose feedback provided crucial insight into the materials and behaviours that contribute to the plight of the use of single-use plastics. With the project now in full swing, team members include Amy Drucquer, founder of ThisFanGirl, Katie Cross, CEO of Pledgeball, Richard Holmes, Director at Final Third Sport, Olivia Aspinall, founder of Do Not Go Gentle, Mark Charlton, professor at De Montfort University, Brian Stow associate partner at Pivots and Blocks, Sally Dhillion, Director and Executive Coach at Nudge Forward, and Lauren Dudley, product lead at Reath.
This collaboration is edging closer to finding a solution that could eliminate tonnes of plastic waste every season. While the immediate focus is injury-treatment in football, the future implications of the project could extend to removing single-use plastic in multiple instances in all sports, with the potential to set a new standard for environmental responsibility across the board.
The Premier League and its clubs contribute £8bn a year to the UK economy, while the grassroots game contributes £15.9bn to society each year, £745m from the BCFA region; a sum that underscores the potential for grassroots initiatives to spark industry-wide transformations. Tackling the initial specific issue of single-use ice packs may seem modest at first, but it represents an incredible opportunity to spark changes in waste-management practices across the football industry. With its reach and influence, football is a uniquely positioned sport that is able to lead by example, inspiring similar environmental innovations.
Harry Conway, Innovation Manager at STEAMhouse, emphasises the broader implications of the project:
"Collaboration and experimentation are essential. By teaming up in attempts to minimise plastic waste in football, we aim to inspire sustainability across the sports industry as a whole. Football has a unique ability to unite people, and this project demonstrates how we can harness that power to address critical environmental challenges.
Our goal is not only to reduce the sport's carbon footprint but to create a ripple effect - encouraging fans, clubs, and organisations worldwide to rethink their approach to plastic waste.”
The initiative’s approach focuses on material innovation, behaviour change, and storytelling, encouraging a collaborative and multi-pronged solution. By exploring advanced, sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics, the project addresses a critical environmental and social challenge. Engaging communities and fostering eco-friendly practices ensures that the change extends beyond the pitch.
Richard Lindsay, Sustainability and Insights Manager at the BCFA added:
“To know that we’ve created a spark and brought together so many pioneers from their industry is truly special to us and shows us just how much others want to find positive solutions to this challenge as much as we do. This project with STEAMhouse started as an idea and is quickly turning into something that could materially combat single use plastics in football.
We’re excited to keep innovating, keep getting the right people involved and keep questioning how we can make sport less harmful to the environment. The BCFA is endlessly proud to be a part of a project that challenges the norm and has the potential to influence change industry-wide, and continue our commitment to Save Today, Play Tomorrow.”
With support from Innovate UK and the West Midlands Combined Authority, this programme could redefine sustainability practices in sports. By addressing a seemingly simple issue - the overuse of single-use ice packs in treating grassroots football injuries - the initiative is setting the stage for long-term environmental change. Football’s ability to unite people and inspire action makes it a powerful force in the fight against climate change, and this project aims to be the blueprint for a more sustainable future in sport.
For more information or to get involved, visit STEAMhouse or Birmingham County Football Association.