Liverpool FC recycles over 1 million plastic bottles from matchdays

Liverpool FC has achieved a major milestone in its ongoing sustainability journey, with the help of fans, the club has now recycled more than one million plastic bottles through matchday collections and events at Anfield over the past three seasons.

As part of its sustainability strategy, The Red Way, LFC has built a robust waste management infrastructure, encouraged supporter involvement, and influenced positive behaviour changes on recycling, which has made significant progress in reducing plastic waste year-on-year.

The club has seen an impressive shift in fan behaviour, with 99 per cent of fans now actively participating in The Red Way recycling programme at Anfield, a significant increase from the 25 per cent involvement in the 2021-22 season.

The number of plastic bottles collected has seen a dramatic increase over the three-year period, with the club amassing a total of 1,051,400 bottles by 2023-24, which will be sent into a circulatory programme facilitated by a third-party provider to ensure that the bottles are repurposed and do not end up in landfill.

Rishi Jain, director of impact at the club, said:

“This achievement demonstrates that our supporters have truly embraced The Red Way and our recycling initiatives.

“Hitting this milestone shows what can be achieved when our fans come together to make small but effective changes in addition to our overall reduction plans.

“Reaching over one million plastic bottles recycled is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved, in particular our operations team and our waste management staff. It’s been challenging at times, but the collective impact we’re making is truly worthwhile, and this forms just a small part of The Red Way.”

With The Red Way, LFC remains dedicated to setting the standard for sustainability in sports, continuing to innovate and inspire others through its ongoing efforts to protect the environment.

Last month saw the club participate in New York Climate Week, hosting a panel discussion on the role of sports driving change through sustainability, alongside US sports organisations, including representatives from NASCAR, the NHL and the NFL.

Former Reds stars Lucas Leiva and Martin Skrtel also joined Jain on a visit to the United Nations headquarters to discover more about the club’s support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of Global Goals Week.