Forest Green Rovers Partners with WCD Group for Greener Hydration
Forest Green Rovers, recognised by FIFA as the “world’s greenest football club”, has taken refill hydration to the heart of its sustainability strategy by installing environmentally-friendly drinking water solutions with the WCD Group.
Based on Gloucester Business Park, the WCD Group has installed a number of high capacity, plumbed in refill water dispensers in high footfall areas in the stadium for use on match days by the players and at the training ground for players to refill sports bottles and stay hydrated.
Sustainability is central to everything that Forest Green Rovers does, from solar panels and electric vehicle charging points to their vegan matchday food – and WCD Group's solutions provide chilled and filtered water and remove the need for pointless, single-use plastic bottles
Refill stations are a vital step towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way of drinking, and a positive way to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated from bottles, as well as reducing the carbon footprint from bottler mass production and transportation.
Dane Vince, Head of Commercial at Forest Green Rovers, said: “We strive to be the greenest football club in the world with our far-reaching, sustainable initiatives, ethically sourced materials and eco-friendly processes.
“By partnering with the WCD Group and installing refill drinking water stations we will eliminate single-use plastic water bottles allowing staff and players to refill their own flasks. As crowds return, we will extend this provision across the stadium to the fans.”
In total, some 7.7 billion plastic bottles are bought across the UK each year, resulting in substantial amounts of single-use plastic waste. As consumption continues to rise so does the environmental consequences of plastic pollution, from landfill into the ocean with detrimental impact on marine life and ecosystems.
Refill stations are a vital step towards a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way of drinking, and a successful way to reduce the club’s plastic footprint in reducing the amount of plastic waste generated from bottles, as well as reducing the carbon footprint from mass production and transport.
Freddie Cairns Palmer, CEO at the WCD Group, said: “Sustainability is a key driver for our hydration business providing drinking water solutions that cut plastic pollution and encourage refill. Awareness is driven by the likes of David Attenborough and other climate campaigners. We share common values with Forest Green on reuse and cutting waste so it makes for an ideal, longstanding partnership.”
Dane concluded: “Reducing plastic consumption is a collective effort and there are many ways that we all can adopt a more sustainable life. The move to sustainable hydration considers both the environment and our business needs.”
