Climate change is not an issue that any business or industry sector can afford to ignore.
From an economic viewpoint, becoming more sustainable is the only way for sports and leisure clubs to survive. In fact, club members as well as users of community facilities demand it.Fortunately, multiple tips and changes can be implemented to make your leisure club more eco-friendly.
In this article, I will examine seven ways to make your club more sustainable and help preserve the planet.
Let’s begin!
1) Use Sustainable Construction Materials
It’s never too early to start thinking about sustainability. Even when you are just beginning to build your club, you can look into sustainable construction materials and ecological concrete options.
Carbon-negative concrete is an excellent and greener alternative to traditional concrete. Not only is it more sustainable than regular concrete, but it is also more affordable.
With a sustainable construction material like carbon-negative concrete, you can gain a competitive edge while also making a positive impact on the environment.
2) Make Your Sports Grounds Eco-Friendly
At your club, you’re likely to have areas designated for playing certain sports. From designing golf courses and ensuring proper artificial cricket pitch installation, regular maintenance is essential to keep these sports grounds in top condition.
However, using chemical fertilisers and pesticides could pollute the local water supply as well as endanger local wildlife. As such, you ought to examine greener alternatives that can help you best maintain an organic sports pitch.
Furthermore, during the off-season, you could also let the grass grow to attract more wildlife and improve your club’s ecosystem.
3) Invest in Renewable Energy
Many homeowners and businesses have begun to embrace the use of renewable energy. With its efficient and cost-effective nature, all you need to worry about is the initial installation costs.
Regardless of these costs, renewable energy is very helpful in reducing energy costs and eliminating any worry regarding huge utility bills. Whether you would like to install solar panels or biogas, investing in renewable energy will help your club make big leaps in sustainability.
4) Provide Sustainable Food and Drink
As a leisure club, you will be offering food, drink and other refreshments to your club members. As such, make an extra effort to buy locally whenever possible to cut down on carbon emissions.
Moreover, look into whether there are any food surplus hubs near your club. These organisations prevent excess food from going to waste and help share it with the community.
By partnering with any such organisation, you can ensure that all your food goes into bellies alone instead of bins.
5) Understand Relevant Legislation
Another way to help you along your club’s journey to sustainability is to understand the laws and relevant applicable legislation.
If you were to flout any important laws, it could result in your club receiving a heavy fine. As such, to avoid this and form a comprehensive sustainability strategy for your club, familiarise yourself with all the relevant legislation.
6) Compile an Energy Efficiency Report
Creating an energy efficiency report can help you identify all the areas where your club can make improvements to increase sustainability.
To begin, consult government energy efficiency policy to better understand how to reduce operational costs and save energy. Similarly, perform an audit to create a sustainability strategy that will effectively reduce your club’s bills and its carbon footprint.
As an overarching policy document, it will serve as a key reference point for any individual decisions that need to be taken throughout your organisation. Consequently, helping you create a sound sustainability strategy for your club.
7) Let Nature Thrive
If your club has an outdoor space or plant pockets, think about and identify areas of space where you can leave nature untouched.
While plants like dandelions, buttercups and clover are considered weeds by many, they are also a source of food for pollinators. As such, avoid weeding them out whenever you can.
If you don’t have many green spaces, consider adding a couple of potted plants. Not only will they improve the aesthetic beauty of your club, but they will also make a big difference for the bees and butterflies.
To Wrap Up
Due to rising energy costs, it’s not uncommon for leisure clubs to incur enormous energy bills. However, there is no reason why you ought to let excessive utility bills dent your revenues.
By applying the right techniques and implementing certain eco-friendly strategies, you can combat this issue and make your club more sustainable along the way.
Sustainability is not to be taken lightly. Start small and gradually build on your achievements while making sure they align with the needs and values of your club. More importantly, never lose sight of the bigger picture of saving our planet.
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