Manchester United

Clean/Renewable Energy

• The Manchester United Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme has achieved 12 consecutive years of energy and carbon reductions, despite the club having grown significantly during that time.
• Renewable energy onsite generation full renewable energy review with viabilities for employment with assessments for wind turbines and biomass CHP at our training facilities along with optimum solar PV generation have been undertaken

Energy Efficiency

• The club achieved the Carbon Trust Standard certification for a sixth consecutive year in 2020, demonstrating its successful commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions annually; it is the first sports club within the UK to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard.
• The Manchester United Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme has achieved a reduction in energy use in excess of 31% since its launch in 2008, despite significant growth in the club over that time; the cumulative energy savings are equivalent to over 56,000,000 kWh of electricity.
• Since the programme’s launch in 2008, the club has reduced annual carbon emissions by over 2,700 tonnes, a reduction equivalent to emissions produced by 540 homes for a year.
• Manchester United has designated energy conservation and carbon reduction as key organisational objectives. Reflecting its importance, responsibility for the development of an energy policy and programme has been designated to board member and Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold
• £400,000 has been invested by United recently on a range of projects to increase energy efficiency and sustainability, including installation of LED car park lighting, the replacement of neon signage and the expansion of building management systems to control heating, air conditioning, lighting and power management. Additional investment has been made into a sub-metering programme to monitor, target and reduce energy consumption across different parts of Old Trafford.
• ‘United to Switch Off and Save’ campaign promotes energy efficiency and engages with staff throughout the Club
• Building energy management in place, elected ‘Lead Representatives/Energy-Champions’ promoting good behaviours, striving to achieve 20% energy reductions
• ‘United to Switch Off and Save’ promotes energy efficiency and engages with staff throughout the Club
• The Manchester United Energy & Carbon Reduction Programme has achieved a 31% reduction in energy use
• The Club’s energy and carbon reduction programme has also successfully achieved 12 year-on-year annual measurable energy reductions.  These reductions have been achieved whilst the Club has grown during this period
• Since the launch of the carbon reduction programme, the Club has reduced annual carbon emissions by over 2,000 tonnes, a reduction equivalent to emissions produced by 400 homes for a year
• Manchester United achieved joint number 1 status during the launch year of the Carbon Reduction Commitment National league table. The achievement was acknowledged by a visit from the Secretary of State for the Environment to Old Trafford Stadium
• The Club’s energy and carbon reduction programme has featured in several national and international events and was acknowledged by an external auditor for being a worthy guide for other organisations to consider and adopt
• Manchester United recognises the importance of minimising its environmental footprint and has designated energy conservation as a key organisational objective. Reflecting its importance, responsibility for the development of an energy policy and programme has been designated to board member and Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold

Sustainable Transport

• Manchester United works closely with Transport for Greater Manchester to support the use of public transport by fans on matchdays (subject to COVID-19 guidance). Prior to the pandemic this included the provision of discounted ‘match day season tickets’ for the Metrolink tram service.
• Fan surveys are conducted to understand fans’ travel to and from matches at Old Trafford. The club works closely with TfGM to ensure transport plans and messaging are aligned with the local authorities.
• The club has provided financial support to ensure continuation of a bus service used by many fans to return to the city centre from Old Trafford after games.  
• The club has commenced investment in electric vehicle charging points at Old Trafford and the AON Training Complex.
• Staff are encouraged to use public transport (subject to COVID-19 guidance) and cycling, including a ‘cycle to work’ scheme to reduce and spread the cost of purchasing a bike and accessories.
• Advocates public transport and cycling
• Runs a ‘cycle to work’ scheme for staff to reduce and spread the cost of purchasing a bike and accessories

Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal

• Reduction of single-use plastics (SUPs) usage across all club operations is one of Manchester United’s key environmental objectives and the club is engaging with suppliers and partners to help achieve this.
• The club has removed all SUPs from kiosk condiment stations on match days and replaced them with wooden forks, stirrers and paper straws.
• Recyclable cups that are washed and returned for re-use after each game have been introduced as part of a trial of draught beer to replace SUP bottles in part of the stadium, resulting in 1,000 plastic cups per game not going into the waste stream.
• The club’s bottled water supplier is seen as the industry leader in the use of recycled plastic; they are the only water provider whose bottles are 100% recyclable and the bottles they use are produced from at least 50% recycled plastic. They are the only water supplier allowed to use the ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ logo due to their recycling commitments.
• Use of plastic packaging is being progressively reduced in the Manchester United Megastore and the club is continuing to actively work with suppliers to widen the range of products where plastic is reduced or eliminated altogether.
• Apparel suppliers have been challenged to deliver products using bulk packing of garments instead of separate plastic bags for single garments; a target has been set for reducing the use of single use plastic ‘transit bags’ in the supply chain by 65% during the 2020/21 season.
• The Megastore has reduced the use of plastic carrier bags by an estimated 180,000 units by replacing them with paper bags where possible.
• All single-use plastics at concourse condiment stations have been replaced with wooden forks, stirrers and paper straws. Throughout hospitality lounges, paper straws are also used
• There has also been a reduction in plastic packaging in retail Megastore such as key ring packaging and plastic covering on football kit
• The club supports single use plastics (SUP) reduction and is working alongside the Premier League to help drive this important initiative. 2019 environmental objectives focus more heavily on SUP reduction across the club and we are engaging with our suppliers to help achieve this

Waste Management

• Annually, 388 tonnes of waste is recycled, equivalent to the weight of over 31 double-decker buses, and 674 tonnes converted to energy (producing enough electricity to power 162 homes).
• Food waste is sent to an anaerobic digestion facility and recycled to produce biogas which is ultimately used to generate renewable electricity for the grid.
• Zero waste to landfill, non-recyclables are used for energy, waste food is composted
• ‘Reds Go Green’ is focused on waste and recycling
• We recognise the need to move towards an economy that keeps valuable resources in circulation. We have taken steps to reduce the amount of waste we produce and divert all operational waste from landfill
• We also aim to minimise the use of non-renewable materials, improve our recycling rates and use more recycled materials
• We currently separate most of our waste on site such as plastic bottles, glass, cardboard, WEEE and metals maintenance waste

Water Use

• Rainwater collected at Old Trafford and used for irrigation, dirty water recycled and used for irrigation at Carrington (now AON Training Complex) and a borehole helps to maintain self sufficiency
• We have installed rainwater harvesting and taken steps to manage our water use
• We will continue to strive to reduce our water consumption across all sites, whilst maintaining pitches and other facilities to a standard expected of a world class sporting venue
• The Club monitors and reports on water use and the progress reports are reviewed by senior management Environmental Management Action Group quarterly

Plant based/low carbon food

• The club has been increasing availability of sustainably-sourced and vegan foods in its staff canteens at Old Trafford and the AON Training Complex
• A meat-free burger has been trialled in the staff canteen and promoted to all staff in the employee newsletter.
• A variety of sustainably-sourced Faretrade products are used across the club and food is sourced locally wherever appropriate
• Food which is surplus to requirements after matchd ays is donated to local food banks.
• Food waste is kept to a minimum by menu engineering and good food management and ordering.
• Waste cooking oil from the stadium is collected and taken to a plant where it is pre-treated and turned into bio-diesel fuel to power vehicles.
• Vegan option – spicy potato and cauliflower pie – available around the stadium and  a dedicated vegan menu is available in all hospitality suites.
• Vegan options at red café

Communication/Engagement

• Environment and Sustainability page on the club website (link)
• In February 2020, the club hosted sustainability workshops at Old Trafford for students from partner schools of Manchester United Foundation together with environmental charity The Climate Coalition (link).\
• In March 2020, Manchester United turned off the lights of Old Trafford to mark Earth Hour and promoted it on the club’s social media channels. A message declaring ‘let’s unite for #EarthHour’ was tweeted to 25 million worldwide Twitter followers (link).
• In January 2020, Peter Schmeichel, the legendary former goalkeeper and global ambassador for Manchester United, represented the club at the World Economic Forum in Davos with a focus on sustainability, including an interview with UNTV, the United Nations TV channel, talking about the importance of climate change and sustainable development (link).
• Environment and Sustainability page on the website
• Dedicated internal website for staff where all our environmental policies and initiatives are promoted

Additional Information

• Manchester United’s Museum, Red Café and Megastore collectively have achieved the Green Tourism Business Award Gold Standard which recognises the environmental achievements of the Club’s visitor attractions.
• The Museum & Tour Centre has been selected as one of the first venues to take part in an updated Green Tourism auditing system, serving as a test site in recognition of its clear commitment to green business procedures.
• Manchester United has an environmental management system (EMS) which has been certified to the ISO14001 international standard since 2012 and was recertified in 2020. Minimisation of resource and energy use and waste are key objectives of the EMS
• The club has a Sustainable Procurement Policy which seeks to identify and favour suppliers which are environmentally aware and responsible.
• As a world class and globally renowned sports organisation, Manchester United has a strong relationship with its huge worldwide supporter base and with its many commercial partners. The club is committed to using these relationships to promote sustainability and encourage environmentally responsible behaviour
• Manchester United is committed to reducing its environmental footprint wherever possible, which is demonstrated through sustainable business and practices
• Manchester United’s Museum, Red Café and Megastore collectively have achieved the Green Tourism Business Award Gold Standard which recognises the environmental achievements of the Club’s visitor attractions
• Manchester United has an environmental management system (EMS) which has been certified to the ISO14001 international standard since 2012. Minimisation of resource and energy use and the generation of waste are key objectives of the EMS, and the Club continually seeks new opportunities in support of these initiatives
• As part of the Club’s drive for improved sustainability, and in alignment with ISO14001, Manchester United has a Sustainable Procurement Policy in place. The Club is developing a sustainable procurement process which seeks to identify those suppliers who are more environmentally aware and responsible, recognising that pro-active engagement with suppliers will support the Club’s drive to reduce the use of materials and protect the environment
• As a world class sporting business, we have a strong relationship with both our commercial partners and our supporters. We will look for ways in which we can leverage our position to influence their environmental activities and encourage them to help us to improve our environmental performance

Information sourced directly from Manchester United staff, website and third party websites

Information updated January 24th 2021