100,000 Sports Kits Landfilled Annually
Surplus Team GB clothing and unsold merchandise to be resold through a specialist platform to support charity, as up to 100,000 items of sports kit end up in UK landfill every year
Up to 100,000 items of sports kit end up in UK landfill every year, with hundreds of items of surplus Team GB clothing and unsold merchandise now being resold through a specialist platform. The initial launch will include 700 items from Paris 2024, with proceeds supporting the British Olympic Association's charity arm, the Team GB Foundation.
The issue of kit wastage is a complex problem affecting elite sport, with commercial constraints and performance requirements contributing to the surplus. Uefa estimates that up to 60% of professional team apparel is disposed of at the end of the season, highlighting the scale of the problem.
The British Olympic Association is partnering with a specialist platform to resell surplus kit and support its charity arm. This partnership aims to give sportswear a second life and reduce the amount of waste generated by elite sport. The specialist platform will help to shift excess stock, which can be difficult to sell at scale due to commercial constraints.
Performance requirements also complicate efforts to reduce waste in elite sport. The types of contracts used in the industry, which include value in kind, can create an incentive to generate excess stock. This means that a lot of kit is bought before it is known which athletes will compete in the sport or event, resulting in a significant amount of excess stock.
## Why it matters The issue of kit wastage affects elite sport across clubs and countries, with many organizations dealing with excess kit. The problem is not only environmental but also economic, with a significant amount of money being wasted on unused kit. By reselling surplus kit, the British Olympic Association and other organizations can reduce waste and support charitable causes.
The partnership between the British Olympic Association and the specialist platform is a step towards reducing kit wastage in elite sport. With the initial launch including 700 items from Paris 2024, it is hoped that this initiative will help to raise awareness about the issue and encourage other organizations to take action to reduce their waste.
