The FA cup final at the new Wembley stadium is estimated to have left an environmental footprint 3,000 times the size of the pitch! Each fan travelling to the game and enjoying the culinary delights on offer would have a carbon footprint 10 times as large as the one they would have if they watched the game at home. Based on an analysis of the 2004 cup final by Dr Andrea Collins of Cardiff University, the environmental impact of such an event is massive. The major factors are the fans’ transport requirements and the huge amounts of processed foods they consume.
The environmental problem with processed food is the fact that it is processed. The industrial process of making and distributing the food is causing the damage to the environment.
As an example of the types of figures we are looking at, here are the stats for the 2004 final: 37,624 sausage rolls/pies/pasties, 26,965 sandwiches, 17,998 hotdogs, 12,780 burgers, 11,502 packets of crisps, 23,909 portions of chips, 303,001 pints of lager, 66,584 pints of beer, 38,906 pints of cider, 12,452 bottles of wine, 90,481 shots and lastly 63,141 bottles of alcopops. All this stuff, I find it hard to see any of this as food, left 37 tonnes of glass, 8 tonnes of paper and 11 tonnes of uneaten food. I find it hard to believe one sporting event can be so damaging to our environment. I wonder what the total carbon footprint of all the sporting events throughout the year would be? Scary thought.
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes