Sustainable Westport and the Democratic Women of Westport share the top four tips for making youth sports more sustainable:

Reusable Bottle: One of the most impactful changes you can make is ensuring your children utilize reusable bottles for their sideline drink of choice. 

Billions of single-use plastic bottles are produced every year and only a small percentage are recycled. Those that end up in landfills (or our oceans) take up to 450 years to degrade. Reusable bottles help prevent waste from ending up in landfills and create significantly fewer emissions than the production and distribution of plastic bottles. In fact, tap water is 10,000 times less carbon-intensive than bottled water! 

Make sure your child has a reusable bottle and fill it as you go.

Carpool: Whenever possible, coordinate carpools to cut pollution and build community. 

When multiple people share a ride, it reduces the number of vehicles on the road, which in turn reduces traffic congestion and decreases the emission of harmful pollutants. It. can also save you time and gas money!

Carpooling also provides kids with the opportunity to socialize and build team camaraderie.

No Idiling: When waiting for your child, turn off your engine! You’ll save gas, help the environment, and prevent children from breathing in toxic chemicals. 

Idling vehicles contribute to air pollution and emit air toxins, which are pollutants known or suspected to cause cancer and other serious health effects. Children are particularly susceptible to the impacts of air pollution. Limiting a vehicle’s idling time can dramatically reduce these pollutants and our children’s exposure to them.

Not to mention, if you are going to wait more than 10 seconds, it uses less gas to restart your car than it would to keep it running. Commit to turning off your engine!

Start or Participate in a Uniform/Equipment Exchange

Youth sports generate a large amount of textile and equipment waste. Not only do kids grow out of equipment quickly, they also rarely re-wear old uniforms post-season. Only 10-20% of donations to chain thrift stores actually end up on store shelves, the remaining 80-90% of donations are shipped overseas to landfills. At the end of the next sports season, inquire about uniform/equipment exchange or donation programs. If a program doesn’t exist, make an impact in your community by organizing a uniform/equipment exchange or donation program to reduce waste and build community!

GET INVOLVED!

Sustainable Westport is looking to help reduce uniform and equipment waste by coordinating a Westport youth sports uniform and equipment exchange program. Contact admin@sustainablewestport.com to volunteer.