D-3 - The final is approaching, will ecology get a green or red card?

Three days before the highly anticipated final (though certainly much less so than in 2006), we wonder about the environmental impact of this World Cup… and of these initiatives that influenced the score?

Well, no, I won't even mention the French team! There would be so much to say (and as the specialist I am, I wouldn't want to drown you in untechnical terms…) so I'll stop at the observation of our Frenchys' 100% polyester jerseys… Brazil had better prospects of winning and yet no revenge…! Its official sponsor, the famous swoosh, innovated in an eco-friendly way with jerseys made from recycled bottles to dress its 9 teams (including the Netherlands, Portugal…) ! Nike's communication around the World Cup is therefore a "greened" image to be almost in perfect harmony with the green pitches… An eco-friendly Nike jersey means 8 recycled bottles (not bad, right?), so multiply that by the number of players, the number of jerseys per player, the number of supporters… and you get a great recycling operation: 13 million bottles that won't end up in landfill, or 254,000 kilos of plastic… (and the brand could almost get a green red card because we keep hearing them bragging ) - But I admit, when you see the environmental damage of such an event, you can only support them! Between the water overconsumption, but not just that, the enormous facilities, the upheaval of the host countries, the players' luxury hotels….! and the most optimistic will say it creates jobs, but you have to see what kind of jobs!

Nike isn't the only one to have proposed initiatives; the focus of the "green goal 2010" program is waste reduction, the promotion of green tourism, the development of clean transport, the installation of energy-efficient urban equipment, the planting of trees in host cities… It's good, yes, but still too minimal!

And Coca Cola hasn't said its last word in capitalizing on the World Cup's enthusiasm… its battleground is also recycling, so the brand is going all out with big campaigns, including those developed in South Africa to encourage young people to recycle, or its construction of Coca-Cola crates in its image (created by a South African agency, Animal Farm)..

What's next? Well, the French team won't feel guilty anymore; they'll get a green boost from 2011 until at least 2018 by swapping their Adidas jerseys for Nike's recycled bottle jerseys!!

And for a complete eco-friendly footballer look, the brand Ethletic offers fair trade footballs made from natural latex or fair trade organic sneakers and flip-flops. For enthusiasts, a nice initiative from Loomstate with its mini inflatable balls made from organic cotton canvas!!!

++ Ethletic
++ Loomstate

Séverine