From waste to win: A second life for EURO 2024 materials
Sunday, March 30, 2025
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To mark the International Day of Zero Waste on 30 March, we highlight two inspirational case studies from UEFA EURO 2024 – repurposing tournament signage into training equipment used by local clubs and communities, and art which is displayed around the globe. An example to inspire and accelerate action on the road to "zero waste".
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As part of our Circular Economy policy, we are committed to optimising the consumption and lifecycle of products across our tournaments by implementing the 4R approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover).
Delivered in partnership with the German organisers and tournament partners, two case studies from EURO 2024 highlight our innovative and collaborative approach to reducing waste associated with major events. The approach was part of a wider €30.6m invested in sustainability initiatives for EURO 2024, implementing over 120 actions and achieving 95% of pre-tournament targets.
Lidl upcycling project: transforming stadium dressing into grassroots football kits
In collaboration with tournament partner Lidl, 30,000m2 of banners, signs and flags from all ten EURO 2024 host stadiums were given a second life and turned into football training kits and equipment for children.
The UEFA signage team separated the desired material during the dismantling process and Lidl suppliers collected it from each venue – in total, 56% of dressing material from EURO 2024 was upcycled.
Following an innovative recycling process in which fibres were extracted and rewoven into new fabrics, Lidl produced 200 sustainable training kits, including shirts, backpacks and cones, which were donated to grassroots football clubs in Germany through a sweepstake.
This initiative showcases UEFA’s increasing ambition to collaborate with our commercial partners to design and implement impactful activities that deliver mutual value.
Did you know?
As a result of various initiatives, EURO 2024 saw a 36% reduction in waste compared to EURO 2016. You can read the results of the €30.6m investment in sustainability at the tournament in full here.
ACT2 Art Project: turning textile waste into art
ACT2 is an innovative art project that uses a unique process to recycle textile waste and transform discarded materials into eco-friendly everyday objects and valuable art for local communities.
We teamed up with ACT2 at EURO 2024 to create five artworks and a number of other useful community objects using waste material from stadiums and other signage.
Textile waste was used to produce eco-friendly materials during a chemical-free manufacturing process. The newly produced material was sent to selected artists, who created three sculptures, one monochrome painting and a diptych. Two further objects were made using 3D painting and casting techniques.
By the end of September 2024, the artworks were being showcased at Art Cologne, Art Basel in Miami and the Tokyo International Art Fair – and will also be exhibited at EXPO 2025 in Osaka this year.
