Betis Forever Green campaign brings sustainable practices to football fields

Real Betis Balompié, a Spanish professional football club, has joined hands with an open environmental platform, Forever Green, to introduce sustainable practices in sports fields associated with the game. Among the activities promoted are recycling and collection of aluminium cans, installing trash bins at each corner and replacing plastic with 100% recyclable aluminium bottles.

Real Betis Balompié has successfully hoisted its Forever Green flags, which aim to raise awareness among fans about the effects of climate change. This year, for the first time, the festivities have been extended to the rest of the sporting sections of the club. The initiative included 34 activities around match day actions, specifically designed to spread the message of the fight against climate change and involve fans and players in sustainable activities.

On the pitch, the club has partnered with Hummel to produce kits made from 100% recycled polyester and replace traditional plastic bottles with reusable and personalized aluminium Forever Green bottles. Aluminium can be considered a green metal as it can retain its original properties after recycling while emitting lesser carbon dioxide than primary aluminium production. Betis Forever Green 600ml aluminium bottles are available for online purchase through Amazon.

The club has also presented another sustainable initiative in collaboration with Ecovolution, using round nets made from fishing nets recovered from the ocean floor. This novelty was first issued in matches in honour of Joaquin and can also be seen in durable matches. Real Betis Feminas and Real Betis Futsal have also received new third bench seats made from fishing nets.

By implementing several sustainable initiatives and involving fans and rival clubs, the Forever Green parties have managed to avoid the emission of 10.98 tonnes of CO2 emissions in total across all four matches. The promotion of public and sustainable transport has been the key to achieving these figures, as it is the biggest source of emissions from the parties. Real Betis Balompié made discount codes available to fans for the use of bicycles, scooters and electric motorcycles, which gave almost 50% of fans a chance to travel in a more sustainable way and reduce the emissions associated with private vehicles.

One of the sponsors of the Forever Green initiative, Gravitational Wave, has also produced corner flags and armbands for the matches made from recycled materials. The success of the Forever Green parties highlights the importance of involving fans and rival clubs in sustainable initiatives to reduce emissions and raise awareness about climate change.

If you wish to learn more about recycling practices, please have a look at Al Circle's World recycling report.