Major sustainability initiative launches at Coventry Building Society Arena ahead of football season

Fans are set to see major changes at Coventry Building Society Arena this football season as a key sustainability initiative gathers pace.

New packaging, food suppliers and recycling stations are being introduced at the venue ahead of Coventry City kicking off their home campaign on Saturday, August 12.

It is part of a venue-wide sustainability initiative which aims to reduce Coventry Building Society Arena’s impact on the environment.

Fans in the home concourse will see drinks served in a new recyclable plastic cup from the start of this season, with plans for the away end to receive the same cups by October.

The stadium is working with Event Cup Solutions to implement the ONE Planet ONE Chance Reusable Cup System.

There will be no deposit or extra cost to fans, but there will be designated collection points throughout the Arena to dispose of cups, which means they can be washed and reused at future fixtures.

Coventry Building Society Arena has partnered with Notpla and Vegware to introduce new disposable packaging for food and drink in the concourse.

Notpla received the Earth Shot Prize in 2022 and provides a biodegradable packaging solution, with a material made from seaweed and plants that disappears naturally. Vegware will be providing cutlery made of fully-sustainable material made of wooden composite or plant-based material.

Fans will also notice that bottled sauces are being offered in the condiment station in a move away from plastic sachets.

Crisp lovers, meanwhile, will be able to enjoy hand-cooked sustainably sourced crisps from Fairfields Farm Crisps. The independent family farm fertilises its potatoes using digestate made on-site from maize and rye, and waters plants using its own reservoirs and stores potatoes in renewable-energy fuelled cold stores.

New signs regarding sustainability policies and practices have been put up around the venue, while an additional 34 new bins have been installed with recycling compartments.

As part of the long-term sustainability, Coventry Building Society Arena has also partnered with Go Green to record and track all its waste.

The partnership ensures waste is being disposed of correctly, while the stadium is also collecting sustainability data from all core suppliers to monitor their performance.

In the last three months the stadium has recycled 70.245 tonnes of waste, which accounts for more than 95 per cent of all waste at the Arena.

Coventry Building Society Arena is also working to reduce its Co2 emissions internally by consolidating deliveries to decrease the number of trips made.

The venue is also exploring long term carbon off-setting projects and will be working with local communities to support their own sustainability projects too.

Paul Michael, Managing Director at Coventry Building Society Arena, said: “We have been working throughout the off-season to introduce new initiatives across the stadium which will enhance fan experience and reduce the impact we have on the environment.

“We’re looking at all aspects of our operations to reduce our environmental impact, and from this season fans in the concourse, hospitality and outside the venue will see evidence of changes we have made.

“This is a venue-wide commitment to be sustainable, reduce our carbon emissions and have a positive impact on our local community.”