THE GREEN SHOOTS OF INNOVATION Words Craig Buglass
© The Plastic Pick-Up
INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY HAVEN’T ALWAYS BEEN THE MOST COMFORTABLE OF BEDFELLOWS – PARTICULARLY IN THE WORLD OF SPORT. THE FORMULA 1 TOUR GENERATES HUGE AMOUNTS OF CARBON EMISSIONS (OVER 250,000 TONNES IN 2018), POLYESTER CLOTHING CAN TAKE UP TO 200 YEARS TO DECOMPOSE, AND EVEN THE LONDON MARATHON LEAVES BEHIND 5,200 KG OF RUBBISH AND 3,500 KG OF RECYCLING.
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olf isn’t immune from environmental criticism either. Usually centred on land and water usage, any claims are typically countered with the true level of water required by fairways and the evidence that a properly designed and maintained course can support drainage, oxygen production and provide suitable habitats for wildlife. The R&A have issued environmental impact guidelines that will go a long way to ensuring golf courses are a net benefit to the planet for years to come. One story from the golf world that was difficult to dismiss, though, concerned a teenage diver in California who, swimming off the coast of Pebble Beach in 2017, found in the region of 50,000 golf balls on the ocean bed. Over time, golf balls will degrade to release a small amount of toxins into the water. However, the bigger issue is the decomposition into microplastics that could be consumed by marine life and inadvertently find their way up the food chain.
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Whilst, for the most part, outdoor sports like running or golf are environmentally friendly, there are always areas that can be improved. The key challenge for designers, engineers and scientists is to innovate in a way that not only promotes sustainability without impeding performance but, where possible, enhances the function of the new, greener products.
Californian teenage diver Alex Weber and her father have fished more than 50,000 golf balls out of the ocean to stop them for poisoning sea creatures.
30 | upsWing | spring 2021
Seemingly small and simple initiatives, such as using recycled polyester in clothing, can become wide scale across the sporting industry and have huge benefits. Equally, grand ideas can initially drive up costs
The Wisley | Golf Mag azine
