A ground-breaking collaboration has been launched between Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) and Birmingham innovation hub STEAMhouse.
The partnership aims to tackle the growing issue of single-use plastic waste in football and it will deliver an innovative programme that will identify solutions to reduce the adverse environmental efffects.
The BCFA and STEAMhouse are now looking for innovation partners with a diverse range of experience and expertise to propel the programme forwards.
In the West Midlands alone, it is estimated that over the course of the football season, 16.54 tons of plastic waste are generated from single-use disposable ice packs used to treat player injuries.
The project is exploring three key areas of innovation potential: material innovation, operational and behavioural change, and storytelling and campaigns. The focus on material innovation includes the development of sustainable alternatives, mapping innovative reuse options, and advancing opportunities in advanced polymers and composite materials.
The project also aims to unite innovation partners in driving operational and behavioural change, with a focus on the best way to achieve stakeholder engagement, community and grassroots involvement, and incentivise sustainable behaviours.
Led by the Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA) and innovation experts STEAMhouse, the initiative will also focus on storytelling and campaigns to expand the project’s reach and impact. This includes launching effective campaigns, securing funding, and building strategic partnerships with regional and national sports clubs, as well as major organisations like the Premier League and UEFA.
This initiative - which started in July and will run until January 2025 - is part of a larger project aimed at solidifying the West Midlands as the national exemplar in challenge-led innovation, commissioned by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) through the West Midlands Innovation Programme, part of the national Innovation Accelerator portfolio led by Innovate UK on behalf of UK Research and Innovation.
Richard Lindsay at the BCFA said: "Football offers huge potential for engagement and change, as the scale on which people share a close affinity with their community club is perhaps unparalleled in any other sport, activity or business.
"Being part of this innovation project is a really exciting first for the County FA and it is a great opportunity to collaborate with partners & experts away from the game that can help us find positive solutions which will foster long term behavioural change, leading to co-benefits across a number of other aspects outside of football.”
STEAMhouse innovation manager Harry Conway said: "We’re incredibly excited to partner with Birmingham County Football Association on the new initiative to tackle the pressing issue of single-use plastic waste in football. This collaboration offers a unique opportunity to utilise our expertise in innovation, and creativity at STEAMhouse to develop sustainable solutions that could have a significant impact on the world we live in."
Iain Mansell, cluster leadership development manager at the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “The WMCA-led West Midlands Innovation Programme forms part of the region’s innovation accelerator portfolio, funded through a national trailblazing fund from government through Innovate UK. This ambitious initiative will see our region on a global stage positioned as a pioneer in developing creative solutions for the benefit of people and the planet."
