Wembley Stadium Wins Sustainability Award

Wembley Stadium connected by EE was recognised by a panel of industry experts when it won the Sustainability & Community category for its recyclable pitch initiative.

The Stadium Business Awards’ presentation spotlights the stadium’s commitment to becoming a greener venue.

Earlier this year the stadium’s grounds team revealed it had developed a unique new process to make its famous pitch 100% recyclable.

It is believed to be a first in the world of football and the result of a meticulous two‑year plan to find a suitable solution to recycling modern‑day sports pitches, which are a hybrid of grass and synthetic plastic.

The plastic means pitches do not break down naturally, and the majority of old pitches are sent to waste landfill sites at the end of their life‑cycle.

The team at Wembley Stadium came up with a process which allows the plastic to be extracted from the pitch and repurposed. In the first of its kind, they created a bench, made entirely out of plastic from a pitch that saw the likes of Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Lauren James and Mary Earps all perform on.

Karl Standley Grounds Manager at Wembley Stadium said: “We’re incredibly proud to have won The Stadium Business Award for Sustainability and Community and be recognised for the team’s incredible efforts.

“By ensuring old pitches don’t go to landfill we have created a cycle that will ultimately reduce our impact on the environment and give something back to local grassroots football along the way.”

For more information about the pitch process click here.