#NoPlasticFansHere seeks to inspire football fans, hospitality venues and the general public to embrace the adoption of more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the planet.
To launch the campaign, HEINEKEN UK has commissioned sculptor Sarah Turner to create two life sized plastic fan sculptures made entirely of reclaimed recyclable plastic waste. The sculptures will be on display at both Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium for this weekend’s Premier League fixtures, to highlight the sustainability efforts of both clubs.
Last year, Tottenham Hotspur was named the Premier League’s greenest club following a study carried out by the UN-backed Sport Positive Summit and BBC Sport, with a range of sustainable measures implemented across its operations.
These measures include:
• the removal of single-use plastic bottles for beers and ciders, in partnership with Heineken
• wider plastic reduction measures such as players drinking water from cartons and food served in recyclable packaging with wooden cutlery
• a ‘zero to landfill’ waste management programme, with clear recycling instructions for fans on its bins for products still served in PET, as well as a reusable beer cup scheme
• Nike shirts that players wear on the pitch and the replica jerseys for fans to buy are constructed with 100% recycled polyester fabric, which is made from recycled plastic bottles
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium uses 100% renewable energy and has Zero Scope 2 emissions, utilising LED lighting (including floodlights) and high efficiency building services systems to reduce energy use
In September 2021, in partnership with Sky, the Club hosted Game Zero – the world’s first net zero carbon football match at an elite level. Findings showed that 94% more vegetarian and plant-based meals were sold at this match compared to a previous game, with fans walking a total of 36,000 miles and driving 225,000 miles in electric or hybrid cars to and from the game.
HEINEKEN UK, brewer of well-known brands including Heineken®, Birra Moretti, Foster’s and Amstel, as part of its ongoing sustainability commitments, last year made the bold move to remove supply of all single-use plastic bottles to all its pub, bar, stadia and event customers. The removal of PET for beer and cider will save an estimated 6 million PET bottles or over 170 tonnes of plastic per year.
To further reduce environmental impact, following successful trials, HEINEKEN UK offers more sustainable cups for events, as an alternative to single use plastic. The reusable rental cup model features cups that can be used as many as 500+ times before being recycled. Each reusable cup uses significantly fewer materials and lower energy consumption during its lifetime than producing the equivalent number of single use cups. Alternatively, HEINEKEN’s paper cup option can be recycled in the normal wastepaper streams, are biodegradable, compostable and repulpable too.
Through #NoPlasticFansHere, HEINEKEN UK wants to inspire other football clubs, hospitality venues and consumers alike to join them on the mission to becoming more sustainable and challenge their suppliers to provide better, greener alternatives.
Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur, said: “We are delighted to have a partner in Heineken that shares our vision around using the unique platform of Premier League football to inspire positive climate actions. We have seen from our participation in Game Zero that our fans are fully engaged in our sustainability journey and will welcome the #NoPlasticFansHere campaign to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Our reusable beer cup scheme has proven to be a huge success since we opened our stadium and seeing our players drink water from cartons is an extremely powerful message. We look forward to continuing our work with Heineken to reduce and remove single-use plastic from our stadium, while also encouraging our fans to recycle their waste so that we remain a Club that proudly sends zero to landfill.”
James Crampton, Corporate Affairs Director for Heineken UK, said: “Over the past 10 years, we have laid a solid foundation with our sustainability strategy, Brew a Better World, which focuses on the environment, social sustainability and responsible consumption. However, there is still much work to be done, we are on a journey just like every other business and individual on this planet, to make positive changes to reduce our impact on the planet. Together with forward-thinking partners like Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, we hope to inspire others by demonstrating the benefit small changes can have on our planet’s future. We hope our #NoPlasticFansHere campaign will do just that and spark a conversation among football fans and the wider public, encouraging more people to choose plastic-free, sustainable options where possible.”
