Policy and Commitment
- Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is in the process of developing a hybrid of Statement, Strategy and Policy, which will show the environmental initiatives that have been implemented, the initiatives that are in progress and the club’s future plans.
- The club is to engage in a carbon audit and footprint identification, enabling it to find a start point from which improvements will see measurable benefits.
- Wycombe Wanderers is a member of the EFL Green Clubs initiative.
Clean/Renewable Energy
- 31.9% of the club’s energy is provided by renewable sources. The club has addressed this with its energy supplier to increase the use of renewable energy.
- The new access control barrier to the club’s Marlow Road training base is powered by solar panels, reducing power usage and cost.
Energy Efficiency
- The stadium has seen 80% of fluorescent lighting replaced by LED lighting in the last 12 months. The remainder of the stadium and training ground will see the full swap to LED by the close of 2023.
- Floodlights were replaced in 2021 and have seen a reduction of 24.69% power used.
- The perimeter LED screens and giant stadium screen comprises industry-leading efficiencies, reducing power consumption by approximately 76% each year compared to the stadium’s previous screen system.
- The club has implemented a directive to all weekday staff and those who use the stadium to ensure all heating and lighting are off if a room is not in use.
Sustainable Transport
- Public transport (train and bus) travel to Adams Park is promoted on the club’s website.
- There is no parking available on the day of the game without a pass. All passes in the upper tier must be pre-booked via tickets.wwfc.com for £10.
- Three to four buses are employed by Arriva to take fans from the town centre train station to the ground and back. This service can cater for 450 fans, approx. 8% of the club’s average gate.
- The club is looking to introduce three electric vehicle charging points in March 2023. Two at the Stadium and one at the Training ground. Players are looking to increase the use of electric vehicles and discussions with an EV Leasing company have begun.
- The club has three vehicles through a partnership. One of these is an EV.
Single Use Plastic Reduction/Removal
- The club operates a zero-plastic food wrapping policy. All goods brought from external food vendors and kiosks is served in fully recycled wrapping.
- All cutlery served in food vans and kiosks is made from wood.
- All straws within the stadium are 100% recycled.
- Shower gel dispensers have been installed on walls in all showers at the club’s gym and stadium. This has reduced the number of single use plastic shower gel bottles that are brought in by players and staff.
- Looking into replacing all externally purchased plastic beer glasses (currently single use plastic) with a more environmentally friendly alternative. Plastic beer glasses are currently incinerated to create energy.
- At its Marlow Road training base, water is now available for players to use from filtered water units.
- For fans who prefer to retain a plastic card for their season ticket, the cards are made from recycled plastic and can now last for multiple seasons, rather than being replaced year on year.
- Paper tickets are printed on paper which is ethically sourced from the Forestry Stewardship Council, where all trees are replenished.
- Paper towels, toilet roll and hand foam come from a dispenser which has given new life to beverage cartons. The technology separates the components of beverage cartons: from cellulose fibres it creates Fiberpack with which it produces paper for hand towels and toilet rolls, and from aluminium and polyethylene it produces Al.Pe, the new raw material used for making the dispensers. The hand towels are easy to use and create less waste. The soap replaces single use plastic soap pump dispenser and the paper in both hand and toilet rolls is unbleached.
Waste Management
- The club has confirmed that zero waste is sent to landfill. The club’s waste management strategy sits within its ‘Green Strategy, Statement and Policy’. Waste is separated into general waste, food waste, recycling and glass.
- All food waste is collected separately and used to create energy by the club’s Waste Disposal partners.
- Monthly reports from its waste management provider demonstrate what energy has been created from the club’s waste, how many trees have been saved and the amount of CO2 saved.
- The club is encouraging fans to recycle better through the provision of designated recycling bins.
- The move towards digital ticketing reduces paper consumption. More than 60% of season ticket holders now use a fully digital ticket.
- Since November 2021, Wycombe Wanderers’ club matchday programme is only accessible online as part of the club’s journey towards having a paperless stadium.
Water Efficiency
- Waterless system will be installed across all urinals at Stadium and Training ground between the months of March to April 2023.
Plant based/low carbon food
- Rebellion brewery – 3.4 miles from the stadium, all grown and brewed on Rebellions sight. Both home and away fan zones are served Rebellions product. All beer is sent in reusable kegs to reduce packaging.
- Bumble Bee – Both Fan Zones are served draft bumble bee cider. – An Oxford-based company (22 miles).
- Artisan Gourmet Meat – 4.1 miles from the stadium and supplies the club’s meat. Is sourced from local farms in the surrounding areas.
- Westside Farm shop – 1.6 mile from the stadium, all of the club’s fruit and vegetables are sourced and grown here.
- Vegetarian and vegan options are available in food outlets throughout the stadium and in its car park vendors.
- Hellfire BBQ Co Ltd, sits within the stadium car park footprint on matchday and has been serving local meats and vegetarian options since its first firing back in July 2021.
- The club’s training facility sits within two miles of the stadium. Players are offered two vegetarian options for each meal and at least one vegan. All food is bought from The Farm Shop, which is a quarter of a mile away and is grown locally.
- Vegan food options are available for staff across all sites.
Biodiversity
- A number of rare wild orchids grow on a bank overlooking the club’s car park. The club allows these to grow and bloom each season and will not allow ground maintenance to trim the wildlife until the season’s crop has expired.
- The club does not use any pesticides or chemicals on any natural area of the stadium’s footprint.
- The club works closely with Chiltern Rangers who help maintain the Orchid bank and work on conservation of a number of butterflies and bat species in and around the area. Chiltern Rangers have also identified diseased trees which the club has paid for the removal of, in the avoidance of spreading.
- Teamed up with a Butterfly group that uses the club’s upper car park (a field) to study and support butterfly wildlife.
- Wycombe Wanderers Foundation run and manage a local allotment where members of the public who struggle with their mental health and wellbeing can access harvested fruit and vegetables weekly.
Education
- The club works alongside Will Shaw Chef and Chiltern Rangers to educate the local community and corporate sectors in environmental practices.
- The club’s Foundation are currently delivering a “Give Up Loving Pop (GULP)” campaign which entails 4 weeks delivery educating primary school children on reducing the intake of sugary drinks. At the end of the 4 weeks delivery, the Foundation works with the school’s environmental educational work and showcases the impact of plastic waste (plastic bottles) on the environment.
Communication and Engagement
- Alongside player David Wheeler, the club encouraged fans to participate in Planet League’s Planet League Cup competition.
- Released a press announcement on the club’s website for its partnership with Grundon (waste management provider) and the club’s focus on improving recycling and sustainability. The announcement also raised awareness of the environmental initiatives that have already been implemented at the club.
- For National Recycling Week, Wycombe Wanderers Foundation actively promoted how it could recycle and reuse the Foundation’s waste.
- In honour of World Earth Day 2021 (22nd April), Wycombe Wanderers’ club mascot ‘Bodger’ in collaboration with High Wycombe Business Improvement District (HWBIDCo’s) and local eco-heroes Chiltern Rangers, took part in a ‘Town Tidy’ event along the High Wycombe town centre high street, Frogmoor and a section of the Wye by the Wycombe Swan. A supermarket trolley, four traffic cones, 12 bin bags of other miscellaneous waste – from bottles & cans, to crisp packets, sunglasses and a shoe were removed from the river.
- Staff based at the stadium have been told to place waste into the correct bins, to turn lights off after use and to only use heating when in the office.
- The club has joined forces with a ‘Sands Wombles’ group, who carry out monthly litter picks on a Sunday in and around the local community.
- Wycombe Wanderers Foundation is currently involved in a project where two members of staff have recently completed the Grow it, Cook It, Eat it programme – that was run by Buckinghamshire Council (Public Health). The programme empowers the local community to self-sustain locally produced food (low carbon footprint), harvest and then consume. As part of the programme Buckinghamshire Council has supplied the Foundation with eight stoves and equipment to prepare and cook meals. The programme looks to support and educate 40 members of the public to self-sustain nutritional needs.
- The club is looking to make its home fixture vs Forest Green Rovers on April 10th a Green Event by highlighting the work of Forest Green Rovers and the club’s own push forward. Fans will be encouraged to help reduce waste, improve the club’s carbon footprint and continue their environmental journey away from the stadium.
Additional information
Information sourced directly from Wycombe Wanderers F.C staff, website and third party websites
Information updated 07 March, 2023.
